


XOXO

by A_to_B_and_C



Series: EXOVERSE [19]
Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: I swear the initial tension between these two..., M/M, Military/secret agency AU, Smut, bottom!yeol, happy ending because A is not able to write fics without happy ending, mention of blood and guns, please don't come at me saying I didn't write it, rival/enemy to lovers AU, sniper Baek
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-08
Updated: 2020-09-08
Packaged: 2021-03-07 01:54:51
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 52,913
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26359060
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/A_to_B_and_C/pseuds/A_to_B_and_C
Summary: Baekhyun didn't see that coming.When they moved him from Army to a "secret agency" everyone knew everything and nothing about.And under those circumstances...What he didn't like more, was not being able to do things his way as usual.And Yeol.
Relationships: Byun Baekhyun/Park Chanyeol
Series: EXOVERSE [19]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1658077
Comments: 2
Kudos: 32





	XOXO

**Author's Note:**

> I'm back with another fic... I'll probably post a few more in these days since I'm finally able to post them again and I re-emerged from the abyss of draught I fell into.  
> I'm sorry but it's still unedited and only checked for grammar and typos. I'll probably edit once I have time to do that... T_T  
> Hopefully you will like this and feel free to drop by my newly opened twitter account @/AtoBandC  
> Enjoy! <3

He wasn’t convinced in the beginning, but still was a possible way out.

Leaving military ranks to be part of a special _unofficial_ unit, wasn’t exactly the best thing Baekhyun could expect from his career.

However, it was an almost obligated choice.

Due to his too light character and laid-back personality, Baekhyun wasn’t welcomed in the military ranks anymore and Lieutenant general Choi practically forced him to accept to enroll in the _unofficial secret agency_ EXO.

“Why _unofficial_?” Baekhyun asked Choi while he was signing some papers for him and he nodded shortly toward Baekhyun.

“They will tell you everything, Byun. Prepare your best asset, though” he replied shortly and Baekhyun hummed briefly, taking the papers that he was giving him.

“I don’t understand what they are thinking sending you there instead of keeping you here. Your presence will be missed” he concluded and Baekhyun smiled shortly, greeting him with the martial greeting.

“Thank you for everything, sir” he stated before walking out of the office and going toward the locker rooms.

Not that he still had much down there since that decision almost took three weeks before becoming a reality, but he wanted to retrieve the last few things.

Baekhyun wasn’t fan of army.

And neither of wars and killing people.

However, his father almost forced the military career on him and his older brother Baekbom.

Baekbom was way more righteous than Baekhyun who was way too easy on everything.

Easy didn’t mean unfocused on his objectives and aims.

Baekhyun was one of the best snipers around and he never missed a target or failed a mission.

And enrolled on a _special training program_ too during his career.

So under the professional profile he was impeccable.

Simply he took things too lightly, not exactly fitting in military ranks properly.

Starting from the fact that he always managed not to cut his hair, keeping them crimson red and longer than rules allowed.

Or maybe from the fact that he still smoked like a chimney even during mission.

He liked to play around, jokes always ready on his lips.

Or how he was completely unruled, having more than hundreds objurgation letters.

And it was also one of the hundred reasons why, he out of all the other possible soldier, was _chosen_ as they liked to say, at the beginning of his career to attend a _special training_ that made him different from other soldiers.

And unable to live a _normal life_ anymore.

Baekhyun was sure also that Choi knew more about this transfer from army to EXO than he cared to admit and he didn’t let Baekhyun go willingly and without asking anything in exchange.

Not that Baekhyun wasn’t grateful about that transfer.

At least he wouldn’t have something to do with army and with Choi every day of his life from now on.

After picking up all his things, Baekhyun drove until the _not-so-secret-base of the unofficial agency EXO_.

Baekhyun wasn’t dumb, even if he liked to joke around and he informed himself plenty before accepting or refusing his new work in EXO.

EXO was an anachronym of… _nothing_.

It was just a name as other.

It wasn’t something cool like FBI or CSI or all the other three-letters named agencies.

It was ruled directly by Korean Government, even if it was an _unofficial_ thing.

Everybody knew about it, but anybody spoke about it.

Like the CIA, but Korean version.

Apparently, EXO was only a branch of a bigger agency, but everything seemed to be more secret than Baekhyun expected.

EXO’s director was a gentle-looking man named Kim Junmyeon.

Despite his kind appearance, Junmyeon ruled with an iron-fist over EXO, being strict and intransigent.

But it was an intransigent different from the army.

Junmyeon cared about things getting done.

He didn’t care about _how_.

“The results are important, Byun, not how we reach them” Junmyeon told him the first time they saw each other to meet and understand if Baekhyun was a man that could serve under EXO.

And Baekhyun appreciated it.

Because he had that very same philosophy in his life.

Getting things done.

And if he had to put half of the effort to make something, why putting hundred percent and getting the same result?

Minimum effort, maximum result.

Not that he didn’t like to keep himself busy with other activities, he simply tried his best to finish things as soon as possible.

_In every way possible_.

The problem was that he wasn’t so hesitant in using also _illegal_ means.

Luckily, Junmyeon didn’t seem to care about it when Choi hinted to this fact.

“I don’t care about _how_ ” he simply repeated and Baekhyun was more than fine like that.

He parked his car in the parking lot of EXO and entered from the front door, still dressed as he was, military uniform and all.

With Junmyeon they didn’t speak about uniform, dress code… nothing.

Simply _come Monday at eleven_.

He neared the front desk, where a nice woman was typing at the computer.

Long brown hair, cute appearance, white pearls necklace on her neck and an ivory white suit.

“Hi, I’m Byun. I have an appointment with Director Kim” he greeted briefly and she nodded shortly, raising her stare from the computer and frowning at him.

“Mr. Byun? Is that a military uniform?” she asked softly and Baekhyun sighed.

“What it seems to you, _Yoora_? Just out of a work to start another” he replied like it was the most obvious thing ever, reading the nametag on the woman’s jacket.

And her eyes grew larger in perplexity but before she could reply, Baekhyun’s attention was attracted by someone that entered from the same door he came from.

He was older, maybe in his fifties, gray hair and black eyes.

But what alerted Baekhyun was the clear presence of a gun in his trousers.

“Stay down” Baekhyun whispered toward the lady that frowned but he simply repeated his sentence, literally ordering it to her.

“I want to speak with Director Kim!” he shouted extracting the gun and Baekhyun wanted to sigh.

He wasn’t inside that place neither from five minutes and already problems?

Maybe it wasn’t the right decision after all.

“Come on, man. Put that down” Baekhyun stated toward him putting on the floor his duffel bag and shrugging his shoulders.

“Who are you? And don’t you dare…” he started saying but Baekhyun clicked his tongue, taking a pen from the front desk and tackling the man.

He was startled by Baekhyun’s movements and shot once somewhere, hitting a chandelier, but Baekhyun was immediately behind him, pressing hardly the pen to his neck.

“I killed men with way less than this. Put down the gun if you care about your life” he stated coldly and the man raised his arms, letting Baekhyun take his gun and unload it.

From the corridor at the right of the central room some people arrived and every one of them was armed with a different weapon: guns, rifle, knife and so on.

“You late” Baekhyun snorted, kicking the back of the man’s knees, making him drop on the floor.

“Who the hell are you?” an incredibly tall man asked him and Baekhyun frowned.

Tall man wasn’t only tall.

He was also handsome as few Baekhyun ever saw.

Black pushed back hair, dark eyes and a t-shirt way too tight for his physique.

He wanted to whistle in appreciation but maybe it wasn’t the best moment after all.

“Byun, you arrived in the best moment” Junmyeon stated coming down the stairs and hinting toward Baekhyun that nodded back.

“Director. Came to see you but actually protected your ass even before starting working here” he stated shrugging his shoulders, earning a gasp from half of the people that gathered in the room.

Junmyeon instead, chuckled before gesturing a short man to take the assailant into custody.

“Go back to your works” Junmyeon stated toward the others and almost everybody dispersed except the tall man that neared the reception desk, worried.

“Yoora?” he called alarmed and the woman came up from behind the desk.

“It’s happening too frequently! What if Mr. Byun wasn’t here?!” she asked back, clearly worried and frightened too.

The tall man glared toward Baekhyun and clearly wanted to ask him something but Junmyeon stopped him.

“I think I was clear in my order, Yeol. _Go back to your fucking work_ ” he repeated and _Yeol_ clicked his tongue, turning away and walking down the corridor they came from.

Director Kim Junmyeon was slightly taller than Baekhyun, fair skin, light brown hair and green eyes.

He seemed to be gentle, but he was perfectly capable of imposing on his subordinates.

“Byun, thanks for saving one of my collaborators” he stated, offering Baekhyun his hand and Baekhyun nodded briefly, shaking it.

“Glad to be here at the right moment, director. _Yoora_ would have in a tight spot otherwise” he added, smiling kindly toward Yoora that smiled back at him.

“I’m really grateful for your intervention, Mr. Byun, thank you” she whispered, rose dusting her cheeks and Baekhyun hummed briefly.

“I was here. Nothing much” he concluded shrugging his shoulders.

“Let’s go to my office, would we?” Junmyeon asked him, making a small gesture toward the stairs where he came down, and Baekhyun frowned shortly.

“Don’t you want to know who that man was?” he inquired interested but Junmyeon chuckled, shaking his head.

“My men will take great care of him and will let me know what he wanted from me” he started replying but then his stare moved again on Yoora.

“Although, it could be wise to put someone on guard here, at least until I won’t kick some asses to have a better security system on the entrance of this fucking place” he added and Baekhyun nodded absent-mindedly.

It was more than a nice idea.

Otherwise _Yoora_ would be dead in no more than few days.

Baekhyun followed Junmyeon in his office, a room so wide it could be a ballroom more than an office.

“Sit” Junmyeon ordered him and Baekhyun obeyed, putting down again his bag.

“Your commander said you are not from Seoul, so you would need access to the dormitory, correct?” he asked him, reading some papers on his desk and Baekhyun nodded.

“Positive” he replied briefly and Junmyeon hummed, nodding shortly in thought.

“Fine” he started, browsing through the papers and then repeating _fine_ again.

“Is there any problem, director?” Baekhyun asked him and Junmyeon shook his head, snorting shortly.

“I didn’t picture you like a person of _director_ or _sir_ ” he stated and Baekhyun smirked widely.

“Tried my best to make a nice first impression, Kim” he replied but Junmyeon chuckled shaking his head.

“ _Myeon_ will do. Everyone calls me like that” he explained shortly and Baekhyun nodded briefly, already liking that different kind of hierarchy.

Junmyeon took the phone and pressed some digits before waiting on line.

“Xiumin? Come upstairs with Chen” he ordered and put down the phone even before the other could reply.

And in less than two minutes there was a short knock from the door and two men entered.

The first one was the short that arrested the assailant before.

Shorter than Baekhyun, platinum blonde hair, attentive eyes.

He could seem almost feminine but it was clear that he was probably the older of the duo.

The other was as tall as Baekhyun, brown hair and hazelnut eyes, smirk present on his lips.

If Baekhyun had to compare him to an animal, he would be a fox.

“Myeon” they both greeted and Junmyeon nodded toward them before gesturing toward Baekhyun.

“This is _Baek_. New here. Worked in the army before. Show him around” he ordered and even before they could react to the sentence, his stare moved on Baekhyun.

“Byun, no more surnames here. _Baek_ will be fine for you. And they are the Kim Duo: Xiumin and Chen. They will be your roommates starting now on” he explained briefly and Baekhyun nodded shortly.

Nothing unclear, nothing he could complaint about.

He sat up from where he was sitting, picking up his bag and before he could walk toward the two men at the end of the room, the telephone rang attracting their attention.

Junmyeon picked it up, listening in silence to the conversation and ending simply with an “understood” before almost slamming the receiver on the phone station and silently swearing.

He sighed deeply, shaking his head.

“Bring him down and show him the dormitory. Change immediately and go to the coordinates I’m sending to your phone. There’s a robbery going on to the Central. Baek is a talented sniper. As fast as you can” he _explained_ and the man named _Xiumin_ wanted to retort but Baekhyun sighed shortly.

“Can I take them out?” he asked toward Junmyeon and he laughed soundly.

“You have to” he concluded and Baekhyun smirked, nodding briefly.

“Let’s go then” he whispered turning toward the men that nodded too toward him.

There was a small silence during which they lead him down to corridors that Baekhyun couldn’t even imagine being in that building, but then _Xiumin_ chuckled.

“With a pen?” he asked him and Baekhyun chuckled softly too.

“Unfortunately, I took out men with way less than a pen during my military career” he replied shrugging his shoulders.

“Afghanistan?” he asked him again and Baekhyun sighed, fingers carding through his hair.

“Also. Yes” he replied briefly and the man stopped walking turning toward him, smiling softly.

“Myeon didn’t even introduce us properly. I’m Kim Minseok, codename Xiumin. And this is my partner, Kim Jondae, codename Chen” he stated gesturing between himself and Jondae who smiled softly, hinting a wink.

“Ai-yo” he greeted and Baekhyun smiled shortly at them.

“Byun Baekhyun, former Brigadier General. Apparently, I’ll be _Baek_ here” he stated briefly and they both frowned at the mentioning of such a high rank in army.

“Why did you leave army?” Jondae asked him but Baekhyun chuckled shortly.

“Weren’t we late?” he retorted and Minseok nodded, starting to walk back toward the dormitory.

He showed him the room that he shared with them and Baekhyun felt way better than the previous room he had before.

It was bigger and he had a decent closet for him only instead of sharing everything with his previously messy and dirty roommates.

Baekhyun put down the bag and started changing, rusting in the bag for clothes.

“Whatever will be fine?” he asked them, taking his shirt away and throwing it to the bed.

Jondae whistled in appreciation, making Baekhyun smirk toward him but Minseok hit Jondae on the back of his head, before smiling toward Baekhyun.

“Whatever is more comfortable for you, Baek” he stated and Baekhyun nodded, taking dark jeans, a white t-shirt and his leather jacket.

He kept his combat boots, though.

Best shoes he ever owned.

Baekhyun messed up his hair, checking on a small mirror if he was at least presentable and then nodded shortly.

“Hope you have a nice choice of weapons” he finally asked turning toward them and Minseok laughed briefly.

“We are more armed than the whole South Korea, probably” he stated confidently and Baekhyun smiled widely.

“Let’s go then” he concluded and Minseok nodded, guiding them toward the armory.

Baekhyun was perplexed in seeing so many types of weapons.

There was _everything_.

But his stare was immediately in one of the best sniper-use rifle he ever saw in his life.

In army, he had to shoot with the regular one.

However, _there_ everything seemed to be different.

And the possibility to have such a nice weapon in his hands, pleased Baekhyun very much.

Baekhyun took the rifle, turning it in his hands, before leaning it to his shoulder and aiming toward the lens.

It was perfect and Baekhyun could confidently state that he could take out someone from kilometers with that one.

“Take with you a normal gun too. One never knows” Minseok added, gesturing toward a whole selection of small guns.

Baekhyun took a Beretta M9 without even thinking about it.

Lighter.

More precise.

One you can always trust.

Jondae chuckled on the choice, making Baekhyun frown briefly.

“Don’t you like them?” he asked him but Jondae shook his head, pulling out one identical to his and making Baekhyun chuckle too.

Minseok sighed shortly, shaking his head, giving to them in-earphone receivers.

“Channel 3” he whispered, fixing it on his ear and they all synchronized on the same channel.

They exited from the armory to a garage, where Minseok took a small delivery van, apparently of a known-brand of ice-creams.

While Minseok drove them to the place, Jondae started to read Myeon’s information.

“It seems that the bank is on the second floor of a building. There are at least two robbers. We can enter from the back and using the heating system to reach the place. Baek, this is the map of nearby buildings” he stated showing Baekhyun the map and he frowned tried to consider all the possibilities.

“Police will be there too?” Baekhyun asked him, humming shortly and Minseok nodded.

“They are already there trying to speak with the robbers to understand if it’s possible a negotiation or not” he replied briefly, shrugging his shoulders.

“Not to be petty, but why are we intervening if they are trying a mediation?” he inquired again, frown getting deeper on his forehead.

“Because someone doesn’t want them to exit there alive” Myeon’s voice came from the earphones and Baekhyun chuckled.

“Oh. That’s nice. Heard it crystal clear, Myeon” he stated and even before Minseok or Junmyeon could comment again, he moved his stare again on the map Jondae was showing him.

“If you want to wait fifteen minutes before entering, I think I can solve everything without needing to get any closer to the building” he stated making both Minseok and Jondae frown.

Baekhyun hummed shortly, fingers pointing on the map.

“Here. Slightly above, but mainly same height. I know the Central. A lot of glasses, open spaces. A dream for a sniper” he explained shortly but Minseok frowned.

“Fifteen minutes are…” he started saying, undecided but Junmyeon gave them his okay.

“Let’s give him a chance to prove himself” he added to his decision and Minseok shared a perplexed stare with Jondae but then they both nodded.

“Okay. Choose your place” Minseok concluded and Baekhyun pointed a building just in front of the central.

“Rooftop will be fine” he concluded, shrugging his shoulders.

It would be an easy task.

Especially with that much visuality and such a beautiful rifle.

They reached the place and Baekhyun took the emergency stairs until the rooftop, followed by Minseok and Jondae.

“Sure you don’t want to be downstairs in the case I will fail?” he asked Minseok and Jondae, assembling the rifle from its case.

“Will you fail?” Jondae asked him, tone plain but making Baekhyun chuckle softly.

“I won’t” he replied as it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Baekhyun inserted his hand in his jeans pocket, extracting a red hairpin with a strawberry.

It was a gift of years ago of a child he saved from a bombing.

Since he started growing his hair, sometimes it came in use not to have his hair messing with his sight during shooting.

He pinned it to his hair, laying down on the floor and looking through the lens.

“I’m in position, Myeon” he whispered, framing both the robbers.

The visual was _oh so clear_ he could shoot in whatever moment and take down both of them.

“How many are there?” Myeon asked him and after a quick panoramic, Baekhyun confirmed the original two.

“After you shoot, you have ten minutes to leave that place” Junmyeon added and Baekhyun inhaled briefly.

“Roger that. Ready when you want” he concluded, leaning better on the floor, relaxing his shoulders and Junmyeon gave him the okay.

And Baekhyun didn’t hesitate.

When he heard _now_ from the other end of the line, he shot.

Twice.

Just the time to re-load, but merely few instants of difference before the first and the second shot.

He didn’t even check if he took them down correctly.

Baekhyun knew that he didn’t fail.

He sat up, putting the rifle back to its case and turning toward the two men behind him.

“Shouldn’t we go?” he asked them with a certain urgency and they both nodded, unable to process what they just witnessed.

They took the back stairs, Minseok alone going to retrieve the ice-cream van and driving around the corner, picking them up.

“Nice work, guys” Junmyeon complimented them but Jondae’s stare was fixed on Baekhyun.

“Who the hell are you?” he asked him and Baekhyun chuckled shaking his head.

“Told ya. Former Brigadier General of South Korea Army” he replied honestly, shrugging his shoulders but Jondae shook his head.

“Come on, man. Brigadier general it’s just a bullshit. You are not your rank and your abilities are on top” he started but Baekhyun stopped him shortly, shaking his head.

“This is nothing. Really. The visual was so clear I could shoot with my eyes closed and I wouldn’t miss nevertheless” he whispered shortly.

Usually Baekhyun liked to brag about his achievements, but that was really too easy to even consider bragging about it.

“Baek was the best sniper in National Army, sirs. This is clear water for him. When you come back, I will explain you something more and why I decided to change your Kim Duo in a trio” Junmyeon added and both Jondae and Minseok frowned again.

“Myeon, it was almost six years since me and Dae work together. Not to put any shame to Baek, here, but are you sure it’s a wise decision?” Minseok asked him and Junmyeon chuckled shortly.

“Come back here and you will know” he replied, making Minseok sigh softly, briefly nodding and driving them back.

When they were back in the parking lot and Minseok turned off the engine, he stared toward Baekhyun.

“I want to be clear with you…” he started and Baekhyun nodded shortly, focusing on Minseok’s words.

“It’s not that I don’t like you or have something against you. It’s just that me and Dae have been a duo for so many years and…” he started but Baekhyun smiled softly toward him, shaking his head.

“You don’t have to worry nor justify yourself. I understand it. I would be bothered too” he stated and Minseok smiled back apologetically.

“Thanks” he concluded softly and Baekhyun nodded shortly, exiting the van and taking the rifle case with him.

Even in his career before he never had fixed partners.

He worked with whoever came along for that mission and he would have been fine that way also for that work.

He didn’t need any partner.

However, Junmyeon differed.

“I want you three to work together” he stated once they were again in his studio.

“Myeon…” Minseok started again saying but Junmyeon extended a hand in front of him, stopping Minseok.

“I know what you are about to say, but do you remember last year? I had to halve Yeol’s presence to make you able to take all the requests they had for you. Baek is not only an excellent sniper. His military experience is really huge and can really help you guys taking also the most difficult mission that usually I wouldn’t dare to assign you or that would have required the whole SKY team intervention” he explained and Minseok frowned, worried while Jondae scrunched his nose in distaste, clearly annoyed by the idea.

What was the SKY team?

Was it so annoying?

And Yeol was the tall man from before, right?

Was he an operative too?

“I would gladly welcome Baek instead of asking _them_ to help us with other mission. Especially because I’m sure Baek could kick Sehunnie’s ass in whichever moment” Jondae stated, shrugging his shoulders, earning himself a perplexed stare from Minseok but a pleased one from Junmyeon.

“I’m sure he can too. And don’t you want to prove SKY line that you can kick some asses too? Especially theirs?” Junmyeon asked again and Minseok sighed deeply, fingers carding through his hair, stare shifting from Junmyeon to Baekhyun.

“ _Fine_. Only because maybe for the first time in years, we won’t need to ask their help” he whispered and Baekhyun smiled at him.

“I’ll do my best not to let you down” he replied and Minseok smiled at him, nodding.

And even if Baekhyun was naturally confident, he was a bit worried about that situation.

Being in a fixed trio with two people he knew nothing about?

And that clearly stated that they didn’t want him there?

He didn’t know if and how he would have managed with it.

Contrary to everyone’s expectations, Baekhyun’s _in primis,_ their trio, named by Junmyeon CBX, went way better than expected.

Already from their second mission together, Baekhyun started to understand how to cooperate with them, adapting and trying not to be the only drama queen just because he could manage a whole lot of situations alone.

And both Minseok and Jondae took a liking into him and they even became friends.

In no more than two months they were almost inseparable.

Even in their free time they spent time together, mainly training or watching movies in the common areas.

Baekhyun discovered to have a whole lot of things in common with Jondae, making them literally best friends.

They had a similar character, laughed for the same things, joked in the same way and Baekhyun could definitely say that he didn’t regret at all starting working to EXO.

Jondae also explained him that SKY team was the other only team of EXO.

It was composed by Sehun, Kai and Yeol.

They were really good in taking mission, mainly charming their ways in under cover missions.

Reason why they almost never were to the base.

However, it wasn’t long before Baekhyun had the _pleasure_ to meet them.

It started everything one evening, while he was training with Minseok in the fitness area.

Minseok was really good in near-combat and Baekhyun, being trained in _hapkido_ and other martial arts, found it pleasant to spar with him sometimes.

Not that he actually considered it real _training_ because, thanks to the _special training_ he did in the army, that was nothing more than a play.

“Wait, wait” Minseok stopped him, quickly tapping on his arm, while Baekhyun was literally taking him in a headlock.

Baekhyun let him go and breathed shortly, feeling the sweat running down his spine and his face.

He even pulled behind his hair with the strawberry pin, but it wasn’t of much help.

He was wiping some sweat away with the end of his t-shirt, when from the bottom of the room, a tall man entered.

He wasn’t the same tall man Baekhyun met the first day at EXO.

He was blonde, skin tone a bit darker than his and golden eyes.

“Oh, Kai” Minseok stated, gesturing toward the man and Baekhyun hummed in thought.

So, he was one of that infamous SKY team.

“I heard talking about you, Baek, so I came to greet you” he stated and Baekhyun nodded shortly.

“Thank you for taking the hassle” he replied briefly, shrugging his shoulders and the man nodded too.

“Kim Jongin, codename Kai. Up to a sparring match?” he asked him, smirking and Baekhyun’s stare went to Minseok.

“ _Hyung_?” he asked him, as asking for his permission, and Minseok nodded shortly.

“He’s quite strong, beware” he replied and Baekhyun nodded briefly, fixing his strawberry pin and putting up a combat stance.

Jongin took his jacket away, throwing it to the floor and nearing Baekhyun’s space.

And Baekhyun thought that Jongin could be at a higher level than Minseok himself, but it took Baekhyun less than two minutes to put Jongin on the floor.

Minseok was astonished and Baekhyun was perplexed.

It wasn’t even fun.

He used even a bit more strength and techniques compared to the ones he usually used with Minseok, hoping that it would be more satisfactory, but it was almost the same level.

Jongin wasn’t happy with the result, so he asked for a second match.

And a third.

A fourth.

At the fifth, another tall man entered the room just in time to see Jongin going down again per Baekhyun’s hands.

“Who the hell are you?” Jongin asked Baekhyun who chuckled softly, shaking his head, wiping again his sweat with the hem of his t-shirt.

He was literally drenched but he was quite enjoying himself.

“What are you doing?” the man who just entered asked Jongin who sat up, pressing a hand on his back.

“ _Sehunnie_ , he’s good” he whined and _Sehun_ frowned shortly, stare moving to Baekhyun.

“So, you are letting yourself beat up from someone who has a strawberry pin in his hair?” he asked him and Jongin whined again.

“Want to come and try?” Baekhyun proposed toward Sehun, smirk not leaving his lips and Sehun nodded immediately.

“I can’t believe it that Kai is such a weak ass” he whispered taking off his jacket too and Baekhyun gestured him with the hand to near him.

In few minutes, not even with slightly more effort than before, also Sehun ended up on the floor, Baekhyun smiling softly, shaking his head.

“So, strawberry-pin won again?” Baekhyun chuckled and Minseok was always more perplexed by Baekhyun’s physical abilities.

Sehun asked for few rounds more before he could tire off and call the last one of their team, tall man Yeol.

“What are you two doing here?” Chanyeol asked them softly, entering the room and they both neared him, whining about Baekhyun being too strong or probably cheating due to _the strawberry-pin-power_.

Baekhyun frowned shortly at the mention, slightly touching his pin in perplexity.

“You better beware even more now, Baek” Minseok whispered him and Baekhyun’s stare turned toward him perplexed, trying to understand the warning.

“Park Chanyeol, codename Yeol. He’s the strongest in the SKY team” he added and Baekhyun’s smiled wider, ready to face also him.

Chanyeol neared him, stare enquiring Baekhyun’s whole being.

Only judging by appearances, Baekhyun was clearly in disadvantage.

He was shorter and thinner than Chanyeol.

Chanyeol seemed to be even fitter not only of Jongin and Sehun but also of Baekhyun himself.

And Baekhyun wasn’t exactly fearful with his red hair and _the strawberry pin_ , while Chanyeol was tall, dark haired and… well, also that t-shirt was too tight.

Baekhyun wondered if Chanyeol actually had clothes that fitted his actual size in his closet.

“Up to a match too?” Baekhyun asked to Chanyeol that nodded shortly.

Baekhyun nodded, observing him in silence and for almost a minute they simply studied each other.

And when Chanyeol started to try and hit him, it was indeed stronger and more precise than his teammates.

It was pleasantly stimulating, sparring with Chanyeol, since for the first time in a while Baekhyun was forced to use also techniques and moves that he didn’t usually used on other people.

However, Chanyeol was far from having the slightest possibility to hit Baekhyun, let alone beat him up, bringing up to the same result as the previous sparring partners.

It took a while longer but, in the end, after a particular hold, Baekhyun pushed Chanyeol on the ground, pinning him there, pushing both his hands at the sides of Chanyeol’s head.

“My win?” Baekhyun smirked shortly and _heavens if Chanyeol was stunning_.

Seeing him from that close, Baekhyun could notice things he didn’t before.

Like his long eyelashes.

Some freckles on his nose.

Or how it seemed that he had stars in his eyes.

Letting alone his _more than pleasant physique_ under Baekhyun.

“Who are you?” Chanyeol asked him and Baekhyun smiled softly before sitting up and offering him a hand to stand.

Differently to Jongin or Sehun, Chanyeol didn’t take it, stare perplexed fixed on him, raising on his own.

“Byun Baekhyun, codename _Baek_. Part of CBX team. It’s a pleasure to meet you” he whispered back and Chanyeol’s eyes went wider in perplexity.

“You are _Baek_? And the same that save my sister’s life?” he asked him incredulous and Baekhyun frowned shortly, humming in thought.

He didn’t remember saving any girl recently, except the cute receptionist.

“Oh… Yoora?” he asked him, trying to remember the name on the tag and Chanyeol nodded briefly.

Baekhyun nodded back too.

Chanyeol clicked his tongue, annoyed by that fact.

“It seems like I owe you something, Byun. Is there something I can do for you?” Chanyeol asked him and Baekhyun had at least one-hundred things he could ask Chanyeol.

Especially seeing how stunning the man was, despite the fact that he called him by surname.

However, he simply chuckled, smirk appearing again on his lips.

“Keep sparring with me when you are up to it?” he replied, shrugging his shoulders and Chanyeol frowned shortly, perplexed.

“Sparring with you?” he echoed and Baekhyun nodded.

“Yeah. Or are you afraid of a man with a strawberry pin, Park?” he retorted, smirk playfully appearing on his lips, fingers moving to remove the pin and ruffling his hair up.

They fell messily on his face and he shook his head trying not to seem _too_ messy.

Chanyeol’s stare was on him longer than expected, eyes focused on his features the same way Baekhyun inquired on him before.

It was _oh so clear_ that Chanyeol was physically attracted from Baekhyun as much as he was.

And the thing pleased Baekhyun more than he cared to admit.

In his life he didn’t have many fixed partners, but he liked to play around.

Men, women, it didn’t matter.

He knew how to recognize the _signs_ and how to accept them or refuse them if not interested.

Love didn’t exist.

Not in the way one could define for a relationship.

In a friendship, between siblings or for a mother with her children.

However not in the romantic sense of the term.

Baekhyun never found it, nor looked for it.

He simply enjoyed the occasions in which he found someone interesting like Chanyeol was in that moment.

Chanyeol clicked his tongue, stare hardening again, shaking his head.

“See you here tomorrow at six” he stated briefly but Baekhyun frowned, crossing his arms on his torso.

“Hope not am” he inquired and when Chanyeol nodded perplexed, Baekhyun chuckled again, shaking his head.

“Oh no, Park. I think you are mistaking. I never woke up at that hour neither for morning training at army” he retorted, waving the idea off with his hands.

Chanyeol perched up his eyebrows.

“You were in the army?” he asked him perplexed and Baekhyun snorted briefly.

“You really have an interesting selective memory, Park. When I saved your cute sister’s ass, wasn’t I wearing a military uniform?” he retorted shrugging his shoulders and Chanyeol’s eyes went wider in perplexity.

“Don’t you dare” he hissed and Baekhyun chuckled again, turning around and walking toward the bench where he left his sweatshirt.

“She’s so cute, though. I could almost ask Myeon to put me as her bodyguard instead of Soo” he added and Chanyeol neared him again, closing immediately all the distance that there was between them.

“Don’t you even try laying a finger on her, Byun…” he muttered, moving his hand to grip Baekhyun’s arm but Baekhyun was quicker, grasping Chanyeol’s hand with his.

“And you not one on me. It will be years before I let you win in sparring or real fights, Park” he started saying, voice low, almost a whisper, before smiling widely again.

“You don’t need to worry for your sister” he added briefly, pushing his hand away, picking up his phone that started ringing in his pockets.

“I’ll treat her with great care” he concluded, swiping his finger on the screen, taking the call.

Chanyeol stared back at him annoyed as hell.

“Myeon?” Baekhyun asked on the phone and from the other end of the call there was a small chuckle.

“Have you finished beating up my best men?” he inquired shortly and Baekhyun chuckled softly, stare moving from Chanyeol to Jongin and Sehun.

And then to Minseok, shortly.

“Oh, am I not allowed?” he retorted, starting to put on his sweatshirt, feeling his own sweat run down his spine and feeling slightly cold.

“No, no, don’t misunderstand me. It was just to know if you are free now” he replied and Baekhyun snorted, smirk appearing again on his lips.

“May I take a shower before or…?” he started asking and Junmyeon chuckled softly.

“Don’t you dare coming to my office sweaty and stinky” he interrupted him before hanging up.

Baekhyun stared at his phone, smile never leaving his lips.

He and Junmyeon developed a strange relationship in those months Baekhyun started working for EXO.

They were always on the same line and what Junmyeon wanted, Baekhyun did it.

No hesitation, no questions, no nothing.

Junmyeon ordered him and Baekhyun obeyed.

Junmyeon liked Baekhyun and his ways of acting, especially because Baekhyun was unmistakably resourceful in every mission Junmyeon gave him.

“Myeon?” Minseok asked him and Baekhyun nodded shortly, pocketing again his phone and taking his gun that was on the bench near where the sweatshirt was before.

“Need to go. Wanna come too?” he replied softly nodding toward the shower rooms and Minseok nodded, taking his things too.

Baekhyun smiled shortly before turning toward Chanyeol.

“See ya?” he replied, briefly waiving at him and Chanyeol clicked his tongue again.

“Let my sister alone, Byun, or…” he started but Baekhyun smirked at him, walking away.

So Chanyeol’s weak point was his sister?

Nice to know.

Especially if he wanted to get near to Chanyeol, and most possibly, having any possibility to spend the night with him.

He took off his clothes, almost throwing them on the floor and turning on the cold water immediately entering underneath the stream.

Thinking at Chanyeol under him like he was before when Baekhyun pinned him to the ground, made him feel hot and bothered.

Be cursed Chanyeol and his too tight selection of t-shirts.

He sighed deeply, flinching slightly when Minseok spoke from the shower near his.

“You shouldn’t provoke Yeol like that, Baek” he stated and Baekhyun let out a short chuckle.

“Park is only a seemingly bad boy. I’m sure that it’s all fake” he replied taking the shampoo and washing his hair, turning the tap to let out a bit warmer water.

Minseok snorted too.

“And how did you realize it?” he asked him briefly and Baekhyun hummed in thought, softly, pensively.

“Not a precise thing. Just saw a lot of person like him in army too. They forced their worst attitudes on the others, trying to play cool and to be the tougher ones, being mainly big assholes and nothing more” he explained trying to explain his sensations with words.

It wasn’t the first time he came across that kind of person.

Usually they were like that to prove themselves that they were better than the others.

Rarely, because they had other kind of problems.

However, Baekhyun wasn’t a psychologist and neither wanted to be one.

He didn’t like it when people tried to play cool when they weren’t.

Especially if that degraded other people working in the same place or team.

“I don’t even know why you fear SKY team so much…” he added shortly and Minseok laughed briefly.

“It’s not like we fear them, Baek. They just take more mission than us and are more… complete than me and Dae. But with you here…” he started replying and Baekhyun hummed in understanding.

Rationally speaking, SKY team was complete.

Jongin was the tackle part of the team.

Good in physical assault and stealth.

While Sehun was more for the _sniping_ part even though not at Baekhyun’s level.

And Chanyeol was the tank part and the tactical one.

A 360 degrees complete team.

Or so it seemed from what Baekhyun managed to understand from the footages he saw on EXO’s archives.

That’s why they were more competitive than Kim Duo.

Minseok was really good in surprise attacks and stealth and Jondae was super nice with bombs and other distant attacks, even if not sniping.

Both of them were balanced in other skills but they didn’t work well from breaking throughs and tank attacks.

Jondae, though, was a great tactician and he and Baekhyun put together some tactical schemes that Junmyeon started to universally adapt for every other squad and team they had.

Because as Baekhyun came to know, EXO was just a branch of something bigger, composed by more organs and many other teams too.

Not that Baekhyun really investigate in it so much, but still that gave him a more complete vision.

However, since Baekhyun came into play, CBX started being a more competitive team.

Baekhyun was military prepared.

That meant being able to face every situation possible.

And, sure, he was a sniper, but he also managed physical combats and tank actions.

Minseok and Jondae had their confirmations during a mission where Baekhyun, tired of waiting for _something_ to happen from the inside, he broke down a door, not-lethally shooting everyone in the room and putting definitively an end to a wait of more than twenty-four hours.

Or when he killed one of the bombers with a plastic tie, pulling strongly enough to choke him.

“Still, don’t mess up with Yeol too much, Baek” Minseok concluded making Baekhyun chuckle again.

“Well, for instance I could invite his sister out tonight. I think she will like it?” he proposed making Minseok laugh briefly.

“She will for sure, especially for how she looks at you every time you pass in the reception area?” he commented and Baekhyun snorted closing the tap and grabbing his towel.

He wasn’t blind, nor stupid, and he was perfectly knowing of Yoora’s stares every time he was around.

She was indeed cute and sweet and all another whole list of things why someone could love her, but Baekhyun didn’t want exactly to mess with her.

First, because he wasn’t serious in his intention and Yoora deserved so much more than a flirt.

Second, because he was only messing up with her brother, not with her.

But playing around a bit, nothing serious, only kind words and soft smiles, brief attentions weren’t too bad in Baekhyun’s opinion.

He pushed his fingers through his hair, sighing.

Baekhyun missed having a physical relationship with someone and… how long it was since last time?

He picked up a clean t-shirt from his locker and put it on, picking up also boxer and jeans.

“What did Myeon wanted from you?” Minseok asked him, exiting from the shower too.

Baekhyun shrugged his shoulders shortly.

“Speaking with me about something. I think he wants to send us on an undercover mission” he explained briefly, earning himself a perplexed stare from Minseok.

“An undercover mission? Us?” he whispered back surprised and unbelieving and Baekhyun hummed shortly.

It was a while since Junmyeon hinted him the idea of sending them on an undercover mission instead of the SKY team.

And Baekhyun had his own perplexities on this choice.

However, nothing was defined and there wasn’t any detail yet.

Baekhyun put on also his boots before putting in his new jeans his strawberry pin.

“It’s strange to see something that cute on you, you know?” Minseok commented and Baekhyun forced a small smile.

“I wouldn’t even dream keeping it if it wouldn’t be a gift” he replied shortly, voice low, almost a whisper and Minseok frowned.

“A gift?” he echoed and Baekhyun nodded.

Usually he didn’t speak much about what he did during his years outside Korea for Korean Army, keeping most of the things happened out there inside his memories and there only.

However, in that moment he felt like he could share that short story with Minseok.

“I… saved a girl from a bombing. She was scared as hell and didn’t let me go back to the base for hours even after it ended and that the zone was cleared and checked from my fellow soldiers” he started, turning the small pin in his fingers, small smile appearing on his lips.

“I brought her back to the base, went through one of the worst scolding I’ve ever received in my career. Despite that, I decided to bring her to Bagdad, leaving her in the care of one of the shelters. She gave it to me while we were parting even if it was the only thing she still had of her family and her house. All the rest blown up with the bombs” he added, making it disappear in his pocket and forcing another smile toward Minseok.

“War is not good, _hyung_. And it brings out the worst of people. And I don’t think that EXO is doing the best to save the world, but I’m sure it’s moving in the right direction for granting kids like her a brighter future” he whispered softly and Minseok patted his shoulder, sad stare on Baekhyun’s face.

“If you will ever be up to talk about anything of what happened, we are here” he whispered but Baekhyun shook his head, chuckling, putting again on his smiley face.

“No worries, _hyung_. I’m grown up and nothing can hurt” he concluded taking another sweatshirt and putting it on.

He piled up all the dirty clothes putting them in his bag and picking it up.

“Laundry must be done, tonight” he added, snorting and Minseok nodded too.

“Go see what Myeon want and tonight let’s eat something outside. I’ll treat you and Dae _ramyun_ if you want” he stated and Baekhyun lighted up.

“Thanks, _hyung_!” he cheered before almost running away toward Junmyeon’s office.

He put down the laundry on the way there and when he knocked on the door, having Junmyeon’s okay to enter, he pushed the door open, finding inside also Chanyeol.

He frowned shortly but didn’t comment about it.

“Did you want to see me?” he asked him and Junmyeon made gesture to sit down.

Also Chanyeol seemed to be perplexed by Baekhyun’s presence there.

“Baek, heard you meet Yeol only today” Junmyeon started and Baekhyun nodded shortly.

“Haven’t had the pleasure before, no” he replied, tone clearly joking and Junmyeon smiled briefly at him.

“I suggest you to take a liking into him pretty fast. Next mission will be a jointed one” he continued, stare not meeting his and Baekhyun chuckled, shaking his head.

“Didn’t know you called me here to joke around” Baekhyun retorted but Junmyeon was already shaking his head too.

“You heard me clear. I want you both in this, with respectively the members of your teams” Junmyeon added again but Baekhyun clicked his tongue, annoyed.

“CBX is not _my_ team. _We are a team_. Why didn’t you call here also them?” he asked him, bothered by that mention but Junmyeon smiled briefly at him.

“Calm down, I know. I know also that Chen and Xiumin will be okay with this. Same goes for Kai and Sehun. I was worried only about you too, especially after your _encounter_ today” he explained briefly and Baekhyun breathed again normally.

“Fine then. It’s not the first time I work with someone I am not particularly fond of. No need to worries” he concluded, sitting up, almost making gesture to walk away but Junmyeon hinted again at the chair, making Baekhyun sit again.

“Baek” he started shortly and Junmyeon’s stare met with Baekhyun’s.

“I need you to trust Yeol” he added, making Baekhyun burst in a soundly laughter.

“I won’t trust Park neither for…” he started but Junmyeon glared at him, shutting him up.

“ _Yeol_ is not exactly the type of person I can put my _trust_ into, Myeon” he continued but Junmyeon shook his head shortly, clicking his tongue, unhappy with his reply.

“Not my problem. And I don’t need you to _like_ him but to _trust_ him” he stated making Baekhyun sigh deeply again, fingers carding through his hair.

He didn’t like it.

He didn’t like the idea to have a mission with someone he didn’t know anything about.

And he didn’t know if and how he could trust him or not.

Especially because he didn’t simply _trust_ people just because he was told so.

Trust was a difficult thing to earn and even more difficult to maintain.

And Chanyeol didn’t in any mean even remotely instill trust in Baekhyun.

But work was work and it must be done.

Baekhyun would never fail a mission because of something silly like that.

“How long?” he finally asked Junmyeon and he smirked at him, glad to see him cooperating.

“Two week and half, maybe something more. Starting tomorrow you will be spending your days training to know and trust Yeol” he replied pushing toward him some papers and Baekhyun took them perplexed.

It was a real training, with scheduled activities and so on.

Baekhyun frowned even deeper.

“Myeon, why putting all these efforts in making _this_? How important is our next mission?” he asked perplexed and surprised by all these attentions for a _normal mission_ and Junmyeon got serious in a mere instant and focused his stare on Baekhyun.

“Why are you always so damn perceptive?” he asked him vaguely annoyed yet pleased and Baekhyun clicked his tongue.

“Trained for this, if you don’t remember it” he retorted shaking his head, stare not leaving Junmyeon’s.

He sighed deeply, carding his fingers through his hair.

“You and Yeol are indeed identical” he stated and Baekhyun frowned for the first time, stare shifting toward Chanyeol who was frowning as he was.

He stayed silent until that very moment but now he was shaking his head.

“Myeon, Byun is…” he started but Junmyeon halted him immediately with his hand.

“I want you two to cooperate, guys. I don’t need anything else. Work for it” he concluded shooing them away with his hand and Baekhyun sighed deeply.

“I’ll be back with more questions” he concluded walking out of the room and clicking his tongue.

When he was outside, he frowned, sighing deeply and moving his stare toward Chanyeol.

“Park, listen…” he started, trying to be as educated as possible but Chanyeol shook his head.

“I don’t give a shit of what Myeon said, Byun, we just need to pretend to be friends and you have just to trust me in order to complete that mission. So, don’t force yourself too much in trying to be nice” he stated before clicking his tongue and immediately adding: “and stay away from my sister”.

Baekhyun inhaled deeply, fingers carding in his hair perplexed.

He didn’t like all of that, but a mission was a mission and nothing could prevent him to do a good job.

Especially not a tall, exceptionally handsome and annoying _bad boy_ as Chanyeol.

He sighed softly, starting to walk toward the dormitory, passing through the reception.

All his plans on playing around with Chanyeol’s sister Yoora vanished in the same instant Junmyeon hinted to a cooperation between him and Chanyeol, but Yoora seemed to be worried for him.

“ _Baek_ ” she called him softly while he was absent-mindedly walking toward the dorm.

“Oh, Mrs. Park. What’s up?” he asked her, forcing a small smile.

She frowned softly, stare enquiring his face and shaking briefly her head.

“Is something the matter? You seem… worried” she observed making him chuckle shortly, fingers pushing through his hair, smirk playfully appearing again.

“Nah. No need to worry, really. Thanks for the concern, I appreciate it though” he replied, staring directly at her that blushed softly, shaking her head, fingers fixing a lock of hair under her ear.

“I’ve never thanked you properly for the first day…” she added shily, stare barely meeting Baekhyun’s who smiled briefly.

“It was…” he started saying but from the other end of the corridor he heard a voice calling him.

“Byun, thought I was clear with you” Chanyeol stated and Baekhyun inhaled deeply.

“I’m not…” he wanted to say but Chanyeol neared them, stare worried inquiring between Baekhyun and Yoora.

“Yeol! Don’t be rude… I stopped him to talk a bit” Yoora exclaimed and Chanyeol frowned shortly, shaking his head.

“You have to stay away from her” he repeated, stare not leaving Baekhyun who chuckled, before nodding shortly.

“Sure. As you order” he concluded and Chanyeol clicked his tongue again.

And Baekhyun really wanted to walk away and forgot about that matter, Yoora and Chanyeol too but Chanyeol’s moved toward him, trying to punch him and Baekhyun’s self-defense mechanisms acted before he could realize it.

He saw Chanyeol moving and he acted as per instinct.

Baekhyun took Chanyeol’s wrist and turned it around his back, gripping harder and pushing him down, kneeling on the floor.

He let him go immediately, realizing that that wasn’t the best way to start a cooperation, but Chanyeol was already distancing from him, frowning, fingers massaging his wrist.

“I’m sorry” Baekhyun whispered before walking away, stare not meeting nor Chanyeol’s nor Yoora’s.

And he walked until the dorms, in his shared room with Jondae and Minseok, being grateful not to find neither of them.

He inhaled deeply, balling up the paper sheets Junmyeon gave him before and throwing it in the waste bin.

Baekhyun hated that situation.

And couldn’t be near Chanyeol, let alone trust him.

How could he pretend they were _friends_?

Baekhyun changed his jeans in sweatpants and track jacket and took his headphones, going for a run.

Whatever was happening in that moment, he needed some time alone.

Or he would really have broken Chanyeol’s wrist next time.

It started like that the period of _forced schedule along with Park Chanyeol_.

Baekhyun decided to try to be his most formal and cold self.

He never was that duteous neither during training time in the army, but it was worth the shot.

Maybe it would work better with Chanyeol than every other strategy?

He attended every activity Junmyeon forced them into.

No jokes, no idiocies, no nothing.

He simply studied Chanyeol and his way of doing _things._

Chanyeol minded well to keep his distance too.

There clearly was tension between them, especially one day when Chanyeol, after bragging openly with his teammates about being the best middle-distance shooter, earnt less points than Baekhyun with his Beretta.

Baekhyun didn’t brag about it.

He simply retrieved his results sheet and sighed seeing that he wasn’t as precise as the previous days.

His alteration was showing and he didn’t like it at all.

How could he be perfect in a such a high-profile mission as the one Junmyeon was preparing them to, if he couldn’t even manage something _that_ easy?

That tactic couldn’t work on the long range and he couldn’t keep it up with that attitude either.

It wasn’t in his nature at all.

He clicked his tongue taking off his headphones and walking away, toward Junmyeon’s office.

Baekhyun knocked softly before pushing open the door.

“Baek” Junmyeon greeted him and Baekhyun nodded shortly toward him.

“I can’t do it” he stated, stare meeting Junmyeon’s perplexed one.

There was a small silence and then Junmyeon sighed deeply, sitting up and nearing Baekhyun.

“Baekhyun…” he started and it was the first time that Junmyeon called him with his first name since he arrived there.

“This mission is more than a petty quarrel between two men really capable” he whispered and Baekhyun wanted to retort but Junmyeon’s hand moved quickly on Baekhyun’s neck, patting him.

Baekhyun registered the movement but, differently from few days before with Chanyeol, he let Junmyeon touch him.

“It would help you better if I’d tell you that it’s a personal favor? And that you need to cope with Yeol _only this time_ _and never again_?” he asked him and Baekhyun’s stare was immediately on Junmyeon’s, interested, inquiring, trying to understand what was really happening.

And why that mission was so important for Junmyeon.

“Act with Yeol as you please but _find a way_ ” he added and Baekhyun inhaled sharply, closing his eyes in focus before shortly nodding.

There had to be a way.

Maybe also simply jokingly or in a mocking way.

“Yeah, fine” he whispered and Junmyeon smiled softly at him.

“ _Thanks_ ” he concluded returning to sit down to his desk and Baekhyun’s eyes widened in surprise.

Working in EXO, there was something that Baekhyun learnt.

Junmyeon _never_ said thanks.

He smiled softly, shaking his head and walking again toward the shooting range.

“So, Park, up to another challenge or…?” he asked toward Chanyeol that was talking with Jongin.

Chanyeol frowned turning around and Baekhyun was smirking toward him.

There was a thing that Baekhyun knew perfectly how to do and did it _way too_ well.

Cope with not so good situations with sassiness and him becoming a real asshole.

Chanyeol would have hated the hell out of him in less than five days, but Baekhyun knew that he could do everything while he was working under those conditions.

Even trusting someone he knew nothing about.

Somehow, he would have done it.

_Alone_.

“You seem confident, Baek” Jongin stated and Baekhyun’s smirk grew wider.

“Wanna bet? I’ll do more points than you three plus _hyung_ ” he stated confidently and Jongin chuckled shaking his head.

“Impossible” he retorted, shaking his head while Minseok frowned.

“Why me and not Dae?” he asked him and Baekhyun chuckled softly, shaking his head too, thinking.

“Do you want me to add also Dae? I can try, yeah…” he whispered taking again the headphone and checking his gun.

Even before someone could comment any further, the acoustic signal signed the start of the practice and also the others put on their headphones and loaded their guns.

Baekhyun closed his eyes briefly, steadying his breath.

_Your best, Byun. Not any less than Baekbom. Not any less of Park. Not any less of anyone_ – he repeated inside himself before opening again his eyes and shooting.

He emptied the magazine before loading up again and emptying also the second one.

And when the sheets neared their standing places, Baekhyun chuckled softly.

All the eighteen shots ended in the very same place at the center of the sheet.

Baekhyun took away his headphones, putting them down and turning toward Minseok who was frowning, nearing him, curiosity tinting his stare.

When he was the result, Minseok let out a loud laugh, followed by Jondae that neared them to see the same thing.

“So, Park…” he started showing him the sheet and Chanyeol’s eyes went wider in surprise and with Sehun they started counting the points, including Minseok and Jondae’s but Baekhyun’s scored too high.

Jongin whistled in appreciation and Sehun’s stare was still perplexed on the sheet.

“No, wait… Let me know how you did it” Sehun stated nearing him, fingers brushing the center that seemed to be shoot only once.

Baekhyun smiled shortly.

“It’s middle-distance, Sehun. I’m a sniper since too many years. There’s no secret” he added briefly and Sehun frowned deeply.

“A sniper? For which agency did you work for before?” he inquired interested, making Baekhyun chuckle again.

“National Army” Baekhyun simply replied, folding the sheet and taking again his gun and putting it on the holster behind his back.

Both Sehun and Jongin frowned shaking their heads, making Baekhyun snort.

“Come on, I thought that everyone knew everything in this agency and information travels really fast” he added but Sehun seemed the most dumbfounded.

“So you…” Jongin started probably trying to find a delicate way to ask about it but Sehun blurted out a simple “So you went to war?”.

Baekhyun nodded briefly and he wanted to brush that comment away with another joke or with a light comment, but in that moment his phone rang, showing on the screen the worst caller on Earth.

_Father_.

“I’m sorry, I have to take this” he whispered, swiping his finger on the screen taking the call.

He lighted a cigarette on his way out of the room while he greeted his father.

He couldn’t stand his calls without smoking.

His father was the worst person he could imagine calling him.

When he called, it was only to lament his own existence and Baekhyun’s uselessness.

Probably, he wanted to ask him about Baekhyun not being in the army anymore.

“It’s a long time since last time, father. How is your health going?” he asked him smoking in silence, near the reception area, leaning on a wall, head resting on it.

“Baekbom called me and told me you retired from Army. What the hell are you doing, Baekhyun?” he asked him and Baekhyun sighed shortly, puffing out some smoke.

“Baekbom doesn’t know I’m still working for the Government, though” he replied shortly, inhaling deeply and his father stayed silent for a second.

Baekhyun exhaled all the smoke away, already feeling all the questions happening in his father’s head.

“What do you mean?” he asked back and Baekhyun inhaled some more smoke before puffing it all out.

“Can’t tell you the details, but I’m still serving Korea as you wanted, pops” he whispered in a breath, and his father clearly wanted to scold him for calling him _pops_ and for not telling him about leaving army, but Baekhyun saw Yoora coming toward his way and forced a small smile.

“Have to go now. Take care, bye” he concluded, interrupting the call and pocketing his phone.

“You can’t smoke here, Baek” she told him and Baekhyun smiled softly again, nodding and pressing the end of his cigarette in his portable ashtray.

“Sorry” he replied and wanted to simply walk away, not wanting any more problem with Chanyeol, but he noted something on Yoora’s face.

“Did… someone hit you?” he asked her, fingers moving instinctively on her face and she shook her head, terrified by the idea of someone touching her.

Baekhyun retracted immediately his hand, pushing it in his pockets.

“Does your brother know about it?” he asked her softly and when she didn’t reply he sighed deeply, fingers carding through his hair.

“Why you don’t tell him?” he inquired again but she shook her head softly.

“It was just a time… A mistake. It won’t happen again” she justified and Baekhyun sighed again, shaking his head.

“Hey, you know that if you need anything, I’m here. Including kicking whoever did this ass if you need it” he added and she opened in a beautiful smile and Baekhyun smiled back at her.

“Promise you won’t tell Yeol?” she asked him, worried, voice barely audible and Baekhyun inhaled deeply before nodding.

“A secret between you and me” he replied briefly and she smiled even widely at him before returning toward her desk and Baekhyun sighed shortly.

It wasn’t a good situation.

And he didn’t know what to do.

All the problems obviously came together, not one by one.

He sighed again, walking toward the training area where the others where gathering for full-contact training.

Baekhyun didn’t expect anything in particular so he took it pretty slow but when he arrived in the room, he noted also the presence of Junmyeon and Kyungsoo, another operative, usually assigned at personal protection tasks.

“Sorry for being late, personal call” he stated entering the room and Junmyeon nodded briefly.

“As I was saying, you will divide in couple and you have to pretend that your sparring partner is the bodyguard of a mark. Take it down with what you have” Junmyeon stated and Baekhyun hummed in thought.

“Yeol, pair up with Baek. Chen with Xiumin. Kai with Sehun. If someone injures himself, me and Soo will stay here” he stated and Baekhyun wanted to chuckle at the irony.

In the end, they would spar in any case.

Chanyeol stared at him briefly, nodding toward him.

“Choose your role” Chanyeol stated shortly and Baekhyun shrugged his shoulders.

“As you prefer, Park. You won’t be able to push me down” he replied and Chanyeol clicked his tongue.

“Let’s start from you being the guard?” Chanyeol proposed and Baekhyun nodded shortly.

They were about to start when Junmyeon interrupted them.

“Baek, pretend to walk in the other direction. Yeol will attack you from behind” he stated and Baekhyun frowned shortly.

“It would take hundred years before someone like him could surprise me from…” he started saying but Junmyeon gesture a short shake of his head and Baekhyun sighed, turning around and pretending to walk away, unknowing of Chanyeol’s presence at his back.

However, every single time Chanyeol came at him, Baekhyun stopped him almost immediately, not letting him even touch him.

“Bang” Baekhyun whispered, making the gesture to extract the gun from his back and pushing his fingers on Chanyeol’s torso.

And another _bang_ when he hit him on the shoulder.

_Bang_ for a leg.

_Bang_ for his temple.

All the others stopped only to watch them.

Junmyeon clapped his hands once.

“See? _This_ is what I want you to be able to do” he stated toward all of them and Jondae shook his head perplexed.

Even Baekhyun was perplexed.

Because he knew that those fast reactions weren’t only fruit of a hard training.

Nor natural talent.

And they came with a forced training that Baekhyun wouldn’t wish to his worst enemy either.

“What about the contrary?” Jondae asked him and Junmyeon sighed gesturing toward Kyungsoo.

“Pretend to be your usual self. Baek will be the assailant” he stated shortly and Kyungsoo nodded in silence.

“From behind or the front?” Baek asked Junmyeon, pulling his own sleeves up and pulling his strawberry pin out of his pockets, pinning it to his hair.

He started to sweat a bit, feeling it dripping down his spine and at the sides of his neck.

“Front” Junmyeon replied and Kyungsoo frowned shortly.

“It will be too easy for me” Kyungsoo stated but Baekhyun chuckled, shaking his head.

“Don’t worry. Two moves and you are dead” he retorted confidently, and they studied each other in silence until Junmyeon’s _go_.

And even before Kyungsoo could do the gesture of pulling out his gun, Baekhyun was behind him, hands on the sides of his head.

“Game over” he whispered and Kyungsoo’s eyes went wider in astonishment.

“Once more?” he managed to breath and Baekhyun nodded shortly, leaving his head and returning to his initial position.

He focused again on Kyungsoo’s movements and when he moved again, Baekhyun tackled him, literally pinning him to the wall behind them, fingers pushing to his stomach.

“Bang?” he asked him and Kyungsoo’s eyes went wider again, Baekhyun distancing him immediately, almost fearing of hurting him while pressing his shoulders on the wall.

“You okay?” he asked him at once and Kyungsoo nodded briefly, still questioning what happened.

“Well, can I show you a rare footage of Baek five years ago, gentle courtesy of Korean army?” Junmyeon asked them, gesturing to the small television that usually broadcasted the news.

Baekhyun frowned shortly asking himself what he was talking about but in the very moment he saw the start of the video, he shook his head.

“Myeon, I think it’s not suitable…” he started, walking toward where he was standing but he shook his head, pausing the video.

“You can teach them a lot, Baek. And I want you to do it, because your skills can be useful to everyone, especially in a life-threatening situation” he replied but Baekhyun shook his head again.

“That was a limit case, Myeon and I won’t ever wish any of them to ever face a situation like that” he tried again, trying to take the remote from Junmyeon who shook his head.

“You had though. And are here to tell about it. So, behave and let them know why your help is important” he whispered softly and Baekhyun inhaled deeply, pulling away his strawberry pin that ended up again in his pocket and sitting at the back of the room, wiping his sweat away, stare focusing on whatever else instead of the tape.

Baekhyun’s reactions weren’t always that good.

There was a time when he was at Chanyeol’s or maybe at Sehun’s level.

But then Choi decided to insert him in a _special training program_.

And that footage was the final part of it.

For months he was blindfolded every day, forced to focus only on sounds and movements around him.

The first weeks Baekhyun thought he would have gone crazy because there were too many sounds and noises he didn’t know what they were, how distant or how near they were, from which direction they came from.

However, with time, he started to understand and adapt.

That _special training_ was done on almost eighty soldiers as Baekhyun was.

But of the original project, he was the only one still alive.

Most of them didn’t reach the end of the project and the ones that managed to arrive safely at the end, died in impossible mission or for suicide no more time later.

That record was the last trial to know if Baekhyun’s training was successful or not.

He was blindfolded in a room fully illuminated, and firstly one at time, then all together, a lot of other soldiers tried to hit him, both with bared hands or armed.

Baekhyun exited unhurt and unharmed from it.

Still, it was painful to watch.

To remember.

Baekhyun wasn’t born with those abilities.

They were _forced_ on him, like many others.

“You happy, now?” Baekhyun asked Junmyeon when the video ended and the others turned around staring at him, agape and dumbfounded.

“Baek, you…” Minseok started but Baekhyun shook his head.

“ _Hyung_ , no. Really. It’s better to be a normal person and make mistakes” he concluded, stare avoiding again theirs.

He didn’t want to know what they thought about him, nor if they found it useful to them.

Baekhyun simply wanted to live his life, taking his missions and doing his best.

Living whatever it came in the most peaceful way ever.

Nothing more, nothing less.

“Baek, you have to teach them how to…” Junmyeon started but Baekhyun shook his head and his refusal was definitive.

“I won’t do the same things they did to me. Your operatives are fine the way they are and if you need someone to do that kind of work, I’ll do it. Don’t force this same treatment on other person too” he whispered, shaking his head, stare finally meeting Junmyeon and realizing that that was exactly what he wanted Baekhyun to say.

And to understand.

There was a necessary tile in next mission.

And it was Baekhyun.

That’s why Junmyeon needed him to cooperate with Chanyeol, liking him or not.

“Glad to hear you saying it, Baek” he concluded turning off the television and nearing him to pat his shoulder.

“I told you _any necessary way_ ” he whispered before walking away, followed by Kyungsoo.

He bit his lips, stare not able to meet the others’.

“I’m sorry, guys. For not telling you before” he whispered, finally managing to stare toward Jondae and Minseok, forcing a small smile and Jondae literally ran toward him, hugging him.

Baekhyun was surprised by the sudden affection.

“Idiot. I don’t even want to know how many things you faced there…” Jondae whispered patting his shoulders, not letting him go from the embrace and Baekhyun sighed softly circling his arms around Jondae’s sides.

“Could we please not…?” he started but Minseok joined the embrace, hugging even tighter both Baekhyun and Jondae.

There was a small silence, during which Baekhyun simply appreciated the warmth incoming from them, realizing that maybe he found some _real_ friends after all.

“ _Hyung_ , you are still willing to keep me in Kim Duo?” Baekhyun asked Minseok that frowned before slapping the back of his head.

“It’s CBX, you idiot. And the _B_ is for _Baek_. What CBX are we without Baek?” he asked him and Baekhyun chuckled, smiling softly toward him.

“Thank you” he whispered hugging both of them better and he was focused on that, that he didn’t immediately realize SKY team’s perplexed stare.

“It’s the first time that the Kim Duo actually welcome in someone this much” Sehun commented, astonished and unbelieving while Jongin nodded near him, interested.

Chanyeol’s stare instead was on Baekhyun, focused and inquiring.

“I know it’s a weird request but…” Chanyeol started and Baekhyun frowned, listening, perplexed.

“Are you still up to sparring every evening?” he proposed and Baekhyun hummed briefly, nodding.

“If there’s no mission around, you will always find me here starting from five” he replied and Chanyeol nodded before walking away, letting them all perplexed and speechless.

Did Chanyeol just proposed him to… be his sparring partner?

Despite what he just saw on the footage?

Baekhyun was perplexed and didn’t know exactly how to react to that happening.

What brought Chanyeol thinking it was fine like that?

Baekhyun didn’t have much more time to think about it because Minseok literally pushed him outside the room, convincing him to go away to the shooting center with them.

Baekhyun spent the rest of the afternoon with Minseok and Jondae that didn’t quit asking him things about _everything_ before his arrival in EXO.

And Baekhyun patiently replied to them, joking about it, even when usually he would have brushed off their questions with cold comments or sassy jokes.

But, as promised to Chanyeol, at five he was again in the training facility, sporting again his old army track and field jumpsuit.

Chanyeol entered the room no more than two minutes after him, bowing shortly while walking in and seeing that Baekhyun was already there.

They didn’t greet or speak.

Baekhyun waited for Chanyeol to change and then, when he got back from the locker room, he simply fixed his hair with the strawberry pin.

“Any preferences?” Baekhyun asked him but Chanyeol shook his head shortly.

“You don’t need to be kind with me. I’m here to find your weak spot” he simply replied shrugging his shoulders and Baekhyun hummed briefly.

“Come at me then. I’m waiting” he concluded, softly hinting him to near him.

And Chanyeol inhaled deeply, before approaching him, trying to hit him, without much success.

Baekhyun limited himself simply in defending, without hitting him back, parrying and deflecting his hits.

“It’s the best you can do? Not even trying…” Chanyeol started asking him and Baekhyun chuckled, taking Chanyeol’s wrist and turning it behind his back, making him kneel on the floor.

Baekhyun leant in, whispering in Chanyeol’s ear.

“Are you challenging me or trying to learn something?” he asked him in a low voice and Chanyeol gulped shortly before shaking his head.

“I just want you not to hold back” he replied and Baekhyun hummed briefly in thought, hand gripping slightly harder on Chanyeol’s wrist.

“Fine, I won’t go easy on you, but I won’t stand complaints” he replied honestly, shaking his head making Chanyeol nod shortly.

“You are the worst in any case” he commented softly and Baekhyun chuckled briefly.

“You flatter me, Park” he whispered again, letting his hand go and shortly distancing himself from him.

Chanyeol stood up again, turning toward Baekhyun.

“Show me your best” Chanyeol whispered and Baekhyun clicked his tongue, shrugging his shoulders.

“Won’t your ego be wounded by me beating you up over and over?” he asked back and Chanyeol frowned shortly but then shook his head briefly.

“It won’t be that way forever. Just give me time and I’ll find it out” he replied making Baekhyun nodding shortly.

“As you please” he concluded and this time again it was Baekhyun himself going toward Chanyeol.

Chanyeol clearly saw him moving but could expect Baekhyun’s movements.

Forty seconds.

Three moves.

And Baekhyun was pressing Chanyeol against the wall, one hand on his neck and the other at center of his chest.

They were again nearer than expected and both sweating.

Baekhyun felt like the place was too hot.

And Chanyeol was _too hot_ too.

Sweat was plastering his white t-shirt to his chest and abs and Baekhyun wasn’t blind.

Chanyeol was so toned and defined under his t-shirt that Baekhyun had to force his stare away, again on his face, not to think of how much he wanted to touch him.

“If it would be a gun, you would have died. Same if I held a knife” he whispered meeting Chanyeol’s stare that was fixed on his face.

For an instant they simply stayed there, unmoving, staring at each other in silence trying to understand what was happening.

And then Baekhyun backed off shortly, shaking his head.

“Like this we won’t achieve anything, you know?” he asked him and Chanyeol frowned briefly.

“Come at me during the rest of the day, not only here. Try to surprise me when I less expect it, and then maybe, _maybe_ you will have a chance in succeeding a regular attack toward me” he stated like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Chanyeol stared at him perplexed before shaking his head.

“So, nearing you also during the day? Trying a sneak attack on you?” he asked him back and Baekhyun nodded.

“I’m living here in the dorms. I almost never leave this place. Surprise me, come at me when I would expect less and we can talk about it” he concluded and Chanyeol nodded briefly.

“It seems fair to me and will grant me more option instead of simply trying to face you directly” he replied and Baekhyun nodded, taking off his strawberry pin and retrieving a small towel from the bench.

“See you around then?” Baekhyun asked him and Chanyeol nodded too, not adding anything more.

Baekhyun sighed shortly before taking his phone out of his pockets and opening the music app, scrolling down to some workout music.

He needed something to relieve all the physical tension that kind of burdened him.

Being around Chanyeol didn’t help him at all.

Not in relieving his stress, nor in feeling less hot and bothered and even less in having a best shape since he didn’t even consider that _physical activity_.

He put again his jacket before shortly bowing toward Chanyeol and going for a run.

Baekhyun’s runs were _epic_ as per Minseok’s definition.

He could run for _hours_ more than minutes.

And Minseok once decided to go with him but without knowing about them and they had to go back after _only_ an hour.

Minseok almost died, complaining all the way back because he was _old_.

Baekhyun passed from the reception slightly waiving toward Yoora.

“Ah, Baek, do you have a second?” she called him while he was almost on the door.

He turned around perplexed but nodding briefly.

She smiled at him, nearing him and fixing better her hair behind her ear.

“Actually, you know, next week we were planning to go out and drink all together and I was wondering if you…” she started and Baekhyun smiled again toward her.

“I don’t think your brother will like it very much” he commented, smiling apologetically but she shook her head frantically.

“I’m inviting you and he will be fine, like it or not” she answered decided and Baekhyun chuckled softly, nodding.

“Fine, Mrs. Park. Consider me in?” he concluded smiling briefly at her and she nodded before humming shortly.

“M-May I… May I ask you to exchange our contacts? To keep you informed on the place and the hour…” she whispered pulling out all her courage probably and Baekhyun nodded softly, pulling out his phone from his pocket.

“Is my number fine or…?” he started asking her, but she smiled softly at him, hiding a chuckle.

“You are not practical of phones?” she asked him caringly and he shook his head, huffing a laugh.

“Not of social apps and those things. I’m more… old style?” he tried, fingers scratching the back of his head, tilting it at the side.

She chuckled again, asking him his phone number and when Baekhyun told her, in an instant a small notification opened up on Baekhyun’s phone.

_Yoora_ _〜_ _☆_ _want to add you on KakaoTalk_

“What is KakaoTalk?” Baekhyun asked her and she stared at him perplexed before exploding in a sound laugh.

“How do you even communicate with Xiumin and Chen?” she asked him, unbelieving and Baekhyun hummed briefly.

“I usually called them? Otherwise I live with them and they have a pretty fixed schedule, so I know where to find them?” he replied like it was the most obvious thing, making Yoora laugh even more brilliantly.

“Can I do it for you?” she asked him and Baekhyun nodded shortly, giving her the device, even if it was still plugged with the earphones on the phone, so he neared her, looking at her fidgeting on his phone.

Yoora was indeed cute, had a nice flowery perfume and was so kind and adorable.

And she was clearly interested in Baekhyun.

He could have tried something on her, but Baekhyun felt like he was doing something rude toward Chanyeol.

It didn’t make any sense, but…

“Done” Yoora stated giving it back to Baekhyun and he smiled at her briefly.

“Thank you” he replied, smile not leaving his lips and taking the phone back.

“I’ll create a group chat and send you all the details” she added and Baekhyun nodded briefly not properly understanding what that meant but fine with it.

“I’ll go now. Wait for your info” he concluded waiving shortly at her who nodded, blush clearly spreading on her cheeks, waiving back at him.

Baekhyun almost forgot about it until that evening when, sitting on his bed and reading some articles on the developments of the Center-African situation, a small notification pinged, appearing on his screen.

_Yoora_ _〜_ _☆_ _added you in “Let’s go Party_ _〜_ _”_

He tapped on it and there was already a message

_Yoora_ _〜_ _☆_ wrote:

[09:55PM] Guys, you are all invited next week on Friday to _Exodus_! At nine! Not any later!

[10:01PM] And that include also Baek!

In the same instant that Baekhyun finished reading the messages few more appeared.

_TheGreat_ wrote:

[10:03PM] How in the world did you manage to convince Baek to come with us?

Followed immediately by another one:

_WindBoy_ wrote:

[10:04PM] Maybe she simply asked instead of fearing him as someone we all know here?

Baekhyun frowned shortly.

Why someone should fear him?

Weren’t they all working together in that agency?

And he wanted to reply something too but another message appeared on the chat.

_Yoora_ _〜_ _☆_ wrote:

[10:06PM] Guys, not to spoil all your fun, but Baek is part of this chat group too.

And in that very same moment both Jondae and Minseok sat up staring toward him perplexed.

“What?” Jondae exclaimed dumbfounded and Baekhyun chuckled softly.

“Yoora meddle with my phone today and she said that she would send information about Friday next week?” he explained briefly and Minseok whistled in appreciation.

“Oh, heavens I can’t believe it! Yoora made you an account on KakaoTalk?” Minseok stated perplexed and Baekhyun shrugged his shoulders.

“I … suppose so?” he replied and Jondae shook his head going toward Baekhyun’s bed and shooing his legs away to sit near him.

Baekhyun sat up better, showing him his phone and Jondae nodded briefly.

“Yeah. Here,” he started showing it back to Baekhyun, “she set _Baek_ as user ID and here you can see the participants to the chat” he explained showing to Baekhyun how to use the app.

Baekhyun nodded shortly checking what Jondae was doing when another message appeared on the screen.

_Yeol_ wrote:

[10:12PM] I wonder how you managed to convince him. Still, I’m perplexed that Byun manage to use these kind of apps…

Baekhyun frowned shortly.

“Am I this unskilled?” he asked toward Jondae who pressed his lips in a thin line before nodding briefly.

“A bit. For being only twenty-seven” he replied shrugging his shoulders and Baekhyun hummed pensively in thought.

“Usually I’m used to bigger devices and I didn’t have much time to explore the _social part_ of new smartphones? I use them mainly to keep track of my progresses, music and… entertainment?” he added and Jondae smiled at him.

“You have still time to learn if you are up to it. Especially now that Yoora helped you out so well” he retorted making Baekhyun hum again.

“And… these user IDs…?” Baekhyun asked him again pointing at the two names that replied before.

Yoora’s and Chanyeol’s were pretty obvious but the other two…

“This is mine” Jondae explained pointing toward _TheGreat_ user ID.

“It’s a pun on my name, because _Dae_ is also _big_ or _great_ in Korean” he added and Baekhyun smiled softly, finding extremely fitting for Jondae.

“And _WindBoy_ is Sehun because he was one of the best in the track and field in his school before coming here and he still run super-fast. Maybe even faster than you, even if his stamina is not as good as his speed” he continued and Baekhyun nodded, curious to know if Sehun really ran faster than him or not.

“Then there’s _Boss_ who is Myeon, for obvious reasons. _InvisibleMan_ for king of stealth Kai. And _PrettyFairy_ is Seok, for well… other obvious reasons” he concluded and Baekhyun nodded understanding every mention.

His phone pinged again and this time it was a private message coming from Yoora herself.

_Yoora_ _〜_ _☆_ wrote:

[10:29PM] Don’t mind my brother too much. He likes to talk but he’s a good person.

Jondae whistle briefly, giving back the phone to Baekhyun.

“It seems that Yoora really took a liking into you, Baek. Lucky guy!” he stated and Baekhyun chuckled, shaking his head.

“I don’t know. She’s Park’s sister…” he whispered back, fingers carding through his hair and Minseok snorted, shaking his head too.

“You have your point, indeed. I mean, he can be pretty protective toward his sister” he added and Baekhyun nodded briefly too, totally understanding Minseok’s point.

Jondae however smiled widely.

“There’s always next Friday? You can enjoy the evening a bit and try to understand if Yoora is your type or no?” he suggested him and Baekhyun inhaled deeply, messing his hair up.

It wasn’t simply about him knowing if he was _interested_ in Yoora or not.

Yoora totally deserved something better than Baekhyun himself, especially since he wasn’t serious in his intentions.

And if that wasn’t already enough…

There was still that weird sensation about not being fair toward Chanyeol.

Even if Chanyeol already hated the hell out of him and they weren’t exactly _friends_.

“I don’t know. I’ll see on Friday” he whispered, locking the screen of his phone and throwing it on the bed before standing up and declaring that he was hungry and he would have gone to the kitchen to find something to eat.

Once there he started rustling in the cabinets looking if there was something to eat.

The easiest and fastest thing was instant ramen and he went for it.

He put some water in the small pot and turned on the fire.

There was silence and he kind of liked that sensation of being alone without any sound around.

Except…

There were footsteps coming from the corridor and, maybe from the weight of the pace, Baekhyun could tell they were Chanyeol’s.

Baekhyun turned around just in time to see him appearing on the door.

“Byun” he greeted him briefly with a small gesture of his hand and Baekhyun nodded toward him.

Chanyeol was wearing a white shirt under a flame red parka and dark green sweatpants.

He was clearly sleepy and maybe he was taking a nap before deciding that he was hungry too.

His hair was messy and stuck in a weird way.

Chanyeol rustled in silence as Baekhyun did in the cupboards and then his stare moved toward Baekhyun.

“ _Ramyun_?” Baekhyun proposed him and Chanyeol nodded shortly.

Baekhyun poured more water in the pot, almost getting it all full and then leant on the counter, waiting.

“Why did you leave army?” Chanyeol asked him briefly and Baekhyun raised his eyebrows perplexed by Chanyeol’s loquacity.

“I was forced to” he replied sincerely and Chanyeol frowned, stare moving to Baekhyun and then immediately away.

“How come if you are so…” he started asking and Baekhyun chuckled, shaking his head.

“Because I am undisciplined. I don’t follow rules and my abilities became a burden to my almost inexistent team. So, I suppose it was just _obvious_ that they wanted me out of there” he replied again honestly and turning slightly toward the water that was boiling.

It wasn’t the most complete reply but only the top of a bigger reply, but Chanyeol didn’t need to know everything about Baekhyun.

He poured it on the two bowls of ramens and covered them with their lids, waiting.

Chanyeol hummed shortly in thought, like it was considering also other things and then moved near Baekhyun, this time probably with the intent of hitting him.

Baekhyun took his wrist again, stopping him and smiling softly.

“Nice try, but hunger doesn’t make me any slower” he whispered and Chanyeol shrugged his shoulders taking his own bowl and sitting down at the table, taking some disposable chopsticks, breaking them in half.

Baekhyun did the same and started eating in silence but Chanyeol seemed to be more talkative than usual.

“How did you arrive here at EXO?” he asked him again and Baekhyun hummed briefly.

“Lieutenant general Choi wanted to keep me under control, as he did when he forced me on that _innovative training_ ,” he started saying, gesturing those words with air commas, “but didn’t want me to face the hassle to find myself a normal work in normal society” he explained briefly, because that was the only other possibility in the eventuality he would have refused his work at EXO.

“ _Normal_?” Chanyeol echoed and Baekhyun chuckled again, shaking his head.

“I lived a life for the army, Park. Literally, a whole fucking life. What could have I done outside here? Differently from killing people because someone pays me for doing it?” he asked him, shrugging his shoulders before emptying his bowl.

Chanyeol seemed to be perplexed by his reply.

Especially at the total lack of patriotic spirit inside Baekhyun.

“I thought that every soldier had way more patriotism” he commented briefly, stare not moving from Baekhyun’s face.

However, he simply shrugged again his shoulders.

“I was forced to join army when I was legal age. My father was an important Marshal and my brother and I should have followed his footprints. I’ve no patriotism, Park, only sadness for what wars can bring. I try to build a better world for future generations. However, this doesn’t mean only _Korean future generations_ and if my actions can save more people, despite their culture, skin color, language, religion, I will be there fighting for what I think it’s right” he replied, sitting up and taking his bowl with him.

“That’s why army didn’t welcome me anymore. I am a troublesome person, who plays under his own rules and for his own purposes” he added, throwing away the disposable bowl and chopstick.

“Another reason no to trust you” Chanyeol stated sitting up too and taking his own bowl too.

Baekhyun forced a small smile nodding.

“I suppose so” he concluded before walking toward the exit of the kitchen.

He stopped there before deeply breathing.

“I will go running tomorrow morning, before breakfast. I don’t know which are your plans, but if you are up to it, you could join me” he whispered turning toward Chanyeol who stared back at him perplexed.

Even Baekhyun himself was perplexed.

Why in the world did he invite Chanyeol to go with him?

Is not like they had something to partake.

And Chanyeol just stated that he didn’t trust him at all.

But what left him even more dumbfounded was Chanyeol’s reply.

“Sure, text me the hour and I’ll be there” he concluded before walking away, leaving him standing on the door.

What the hell happened?

And did Chanyeol just accepted his proposal to go run with him in the morning?

He couldn’t believe it.

Turning off all the lights, he went back to his room where he found out that both Jondae and Minseok were already asleep.

He laid down too, taking his phone and, instead of replying to Yoora or checking the other messages on the chat that Yoora created for the party, he clicked on Chanyeol’s contact icon.

The profile picture was Chanyeol himself with a small black dog.

Baekhyun sighed shortly, tapping _start chat_ and writing a message.

_Baek_ wrote:

[01:12AM] Tomorrow 08:15 at reception. Don’t be late or I’ll go without you.

And even before he could even consider locking the screen, some ellipsis started to appear near Chanyeol’s ID, meaning that he was typing something.

_Yeol_ wrote:

[01:13AM] I will be there.

Baekhyun sighed softly, small smile appearing on his lips.

It was strange but being able not to go alone the day after, made a weird sense of warmth spreading in his chest.

Maybe it was because winter was getting nearer.

Or simply Baekhyun was getting softer, distant from the army.

He shook his head, pushing all the thoughts as far as they could go and deciding himself to sleep.

The rest of the week became ruled by _schedules_.

Some decided by Baekhyun, others by Chanyeol but they lived literally in synchro as per Junmyeon request.

They went running together in the morning, before breakfast.

They had breakfast together, followed by shooting and simulation.

After lunch, that was always together, they trained in the physical part with Chanyeol becoming better day after day, much for Baekhyun’s surprise.

Nothing near to Baekhyun’s own level, but quite a development for a _normal person_.

And Baekhyun almost started to get used to Chanyeol’s sweaty abs under his even more sweaty _and super tight_ t-shirts.

Not that he didn’t think about them and how it would have been to touch them and being able to practice a _different kind_ of physical activities with Chanyeol.

Also because they had plenty of time when they was so close that Baekhyun almost could feel himself losing control and touch Chanyeol with the intent of touching him and not simply to stop what he was doing or to block him between himself and a wall.

The tension was almost touchable between them and Baekhyun kind of felt it coming also from Chanyeol even though they never spoke about it at all.

They both ignored the proverbial elephant in the room.

After five, it was _sharing time_ a moment that Junmyeon wanted them to have and during which they both tell _things_ about each other lives.

It was like that Baekhyun got to know small nothings on Chanyeol’s life.

Like how much he loved his sister.

He had a small black dog named Toben, probably the same of his contact icon.

His mother owned an Italian restaurant.

His father was Fleet Admiral now retired and helping his mother with the restaurant.

He joined EXO after a lot of years of training to be chosen for special forces and when he succeeded, he was assigned to EXO.

Chanyeol liked his work and the SKY team, especially Sehun that was almost a younger brother to him.

And those weren’t the only thing that Baekhyun managed to know about Chanyeol.

He knew also that he played guitar and sang pretty fine too.

And as Baekhyun, one of his hobby was playing online games.

Baekhyun started when, during the last two years, Choi asked him to _test_ some videogames for him to tell him if they were as similar as possible to reality.

Baekhyun liked them more than expected, gaining achievement and ranking not usually achievable in so few hours of game.

Chanyeol instead, started because he liked the settings and because he made him able to widen his horizons.

He realized like that Chanyeol wasn’t exactly the despicable nemesis to hate.

Chanyeol was human enough and interesting enough to let a bit of Baekhyun’s guard down.

Not that Baekhyun let him enter definitely but he was almost _glad_ of the time he managed to spend with Chanyeol.

Even when _fixed schedules_ were over, sometimes Baekhyun and Chanyeol met again too.

To eat something in the kitchen, since Chanyeol could be a starred chief.

Or simply to speak about small nothings on the parking, outside EXO, while Baekhyun smoked.

It was pleasant and after not more than fourteen days, Baekhyun felt like he knew Chanyeol from a whole life.

If from the very start he thought that it would have been impossible to trust Chanyeol even in the slightest, in that moment he started to think that maybe, after all, something could be achieved.

Maybe not the full trust Junmyeon would have want them to have, but _something_ along the lines.

They could almost be considered _friends_.

That Friday, Baekhyun after exiting from the shower, was standing in front of his closet wondering what would be appropriated to wear for that evening out.

He owned nothing formal, except his former army uniform, nor stylish.

Tactical clothes coming from his previous trainings in army, fitness clothing and everyday outwear that didn’t fit the idea of _Friday Party_ at all.

He sighed deeply, messing his hair up, exasperated.

Why couldn’t he simply put on his old parka and forget about being stylish or being _fitting_ for that moment?

He never cared that much before.

When he went out on his days off, he always went with his normal clothes, never putting on something more… appropriated?

However, this time he didn’t want Yoora to think too poorly about him, since she was the one that organized everything.

Jondae and Minseok entered the room speaking about that evening too, but they stopped immediately seeing Baekhyun with all his hair messed up and literally naked in front of the closet.

Baekhyun didn’t even make gesture to cover or to hide.

They were all used to see each other naked around the room or in shower, so nothing new for neither of them.

Baekhyun didn’t either hide his scars and old war signs, since they were there since way more than Baekhyun actually remembered.

Even if Jondae liked to ask him about them and where he earnt every single one.

“Baek?” Minseok called him and he sighed shaking his head, exasperated.

“I don’t know what to wear” he declared lowly, disheartened and Jondae chuckled softly.

“Boxer, for instance?” he observed and Baekhyun snorted, nodding briefly.

“Well, it would be a nice start, yes…” he interjected, picking up a pair from the closet and putting them on before turning toward them and Jondae sighed briefly, fingers touching his chin, pensively.

“You are… tall as I am, right?” he asked him and Baekhyun hummed before nodding again.

“But definitely bulkier” Minseok interjected and Jondae pulled out his tongue before walking toward his own closet and starting to browse through his clothes.

“What about…” he started saying, pulling out a black velvety shirt, “this?”.

Baekhyun raised his eyebrow in perplexity.

“Isn’t it a bit… too much?” he asked briefly, sure that he never _ever_ wore something that light and that revealing in all his life, neither in undercover missions.

Jondae frowned too.

“Too much? It will fully cover you, revealing how much you want depending on how many buttons you want to open” he started nearing Baekhyun with the shirt but Baekhyun was already shaking his head.

“My old black parka will be fine, Dae, really…” he started saying but Minseok clicked his tongue, nearing him too.

“You won’t exit with a parka on, tonight. I can grant it to you” he added and Baekhyun sighed deeply.

“Guys, really. I don’t even know what to put it with and… it’s always only me. There’s nothing much to…” he tried again but Jondae shook his head.

“Seok, take me those leather trousers. The black ones and my blue purse” he ordered him and Minseok obeyed immediately under Baekhyun’s perplexed stare.

“Dae, what…?” he started saying but Jondae stopped him with a gesture of his hand.

“Stop fussing. I’ll make you shine” he stated and Baekhyun frowned even more but understood that it was a meaningless battle trying to change Jondae’s idea.

And after almost forty minutes of _no maybe it’s better like this_ , _wait it was better before_ and _oh heavens Seok it’s perfect_ , Baekhyun was finally free to look at himself at the mirror.

It wasn’t Baekhyun anymore.

He looked… good?

But good like… _good_.

His hair was styled back, parted by the side and not in the middle.

The black outfit defined his body like he never saw it before, if not naked.

And Baekhyun almost _felt_ naked, after all but Jondae prohibited him to change.

“You look too stunning, Baek. Go and slay for a night” he stated before insisting for putting on some eyeliner.

Baekhyun let him do it, because how could he know how to put it himself?

And when Jondae finished, Baekhyun felt even more… pretty?

“I will surely die of embarrassment” he whispered, fingertips slightly brushing the mirror reflecting his own face and making Jondae chuckle.

“We will be there with you. And trust me, you are beautiful, Baek. Everyone’s eyes will be on you tonight” he stated, making Baekhyun slightly blush for the first time in heavens know how many years.

Usually Baekhyun used his natural charm to near potentially interesting sexual partners.

And usually didn’t care about being dressed well or not.

Parka and jeans were always more than fine.

Especially because Baekhyun had his own style also on that, mainly done of jokes and flirty smiles and behavior more than nice clothes.

And in undercover mission, he simply needed a suit and his gallant and charming self.

However, that outfit was… complimenting him in a weird way and Baekhyun didn’t know if he liked it or not.

He waited for Jondae and Minseok to prepare and then Baekhyun took the keys of his car.

“May I drive you around or?” he asked them and Jondae nodded briefly.

“Only if you are sure not to drink too much” he replied making Baekhyun chuckle.

“No worries. I never got myself drunk or unable to drive safely back home” he stated making both Jondae and Minseok frown in perplexity.

“Never like _never_? Neither when you were younger?” they asked him in unison and Baekhyun shook his head.

He always smoked a lot but knew his limits for alcohol pretty well especially if it would mean direct expulsion from his unit, from his team and from the army in general.

And he was already a delusion to his father under so many aspects, maybe under that one he could be almost excellent.

“I can’t believe it” Jondae stated shaking his head and throwing the keys of his own car to Minseok.

“Let’s go with both. So that in the eventuality we manage to get Baek drunk, we will be able to bring him home” he stated and Minseok nodded shortly.

Baekhyun instead shook his head, chuckling.

“I won’t be easily convinced” he concluded walking away.

“Is there someone else that need a lift till the place?” Baekhyun asked them, walking toward the reception were Jongin and Sehun were standing speaking to each other.

Both whistled in appreciation seeing Baekhyun entering the hall.

“Woah, Baek, such a change” Sehun stated and Baekhyun chuckled briefly, shaking his head.

“Sometimes it happens?” he retorted, completely erasing his previous embarrassment.

When he was in a tight spot, his motto was: _treat it like a mission_.

Because under mission and under pressure, he could do possibly _everything_.

Also Jongin and Sehun were dressed on point.

Jongin had his hair styled back, white trousers with a red jacket on it, while Sehun had a pearl grey shirt with black jeans.

They almost seemed both two gods exited from some Mediterranean mythology.

“Need a lift there? Where are the Parks?” he asked them and Jongin nodded briefly.

“If you are up to a drive, yes please. And Yeol and Yoora are already there” he replied and Baekhyun nodded again, walking outside until his car, parked near Jondae’s.

“Do you know how to go there?” Baekhyun asked Jongin who hummed in consent and Baekhyun slightly greeted toward Jondae.

“See you there” he concluded, sitting on the driver seat of his car, pulling at the safety belt.

Sehun sat near him on the passenger seat and Jongin on the back.

“He will fall asleep the very same moment you will start driving. I will give you information on where to go” Sehun explained him and Baekhyun chuckled softly, turning on the engine.

“I’ll be in your care then” he concluded driving off the parking and following Sehun’s indications toward the place.

With Sehun he spoke about small nothings, like how the SKY team formed and how important was Chanyeol for him in that team.

“Yeol is a real _hyung_ , Baek. He always has nice comments or suggestions when I’m in a difficult moment? So… He’s the best to me” Sehun whispered and his voice was soft, almost sweet, talking about Chanyeol and Baekhyun find it cute how they were linked through that special bond.

“I think it’s important having someone like that by your side when you need it. You should be grateful to Park” he added, small smile appearing on his lips and Sehun nodded, showing Baekhyun a wider smile.

“Do you have someone like that too?” Sehun finally asked him and Baekhyun smiled dimed a bit, shaking his head.

“No, I… don’t. Never had, sorry” he replied briefly, stare not meeting Sehun’s and it was true because with his _real_ brother he didn’t have that kind of relationship and the only person he ever really trusted in army, betrayed his trust so easily that Baekhyun preferred not thinking about it.

Sehun’s stare went immediately on Baekhyun, perplexed.

“Neither in army?” he inquired again and Baekhyun shook again his head.

Sehun was perplexed, unable to properly process the information.

It was like he couldn’t believe it fully and Baekhyun chuckled shortly.

“No need to worry about it. I survived it also alone” he concluded earning a sad stare from Sehun who wanted to retort but Baekhyun parked in the parking lot of _Exodus_ , turning off the engine.

“Let’s wake him up and let’s go” he concluded smiling at Sehun that nodded shortly, exiting the car.

They went inside with a sleepy Jongin leaning his head on Baekhyun’s shoulder.

He almost had to force him outside the car and inside the pub.

When they entered there was almost only them.

Jondae with Minseok were already there and also Yoora with Chanyeol.

Yoora was so cute with a pink dress and her hair all curled and a necklace of white pearls.

However, Baekhyun’s stare stopped longer on her brother.

Chanyeol was wearing a dark blue satin shirt, slightly opened on the front, revealing his neck and collarbones and a pair of trousers so tight Baekhyun didn’t have to imagine how Chanyeol was made beneath them.

Chanyeol was speaking with a man behind the counter so he didn’t realize immediately that they entered.

Only when Sehun patted on his shoulder, attracting his attention, Chanyeol’s stare moved on the entrance, meeting Baekhyun’s stare.

Baekhyun pulled out a small smile and a nod as greeting.

Moving his stare away wouldn’t be a nice idea, since he was already being caught staring.

“You came with Byun?” Chanyeol asked Sehun who gave him a thumb up, gesturing toward Baekhyun.

“He’s a nice driver” he replied and Baekhyun snorted, shaking his head.

“ _Nice_? Next time I’ll show you something” he replied, nearing where Chanyeol and Sehun was standing.

Chanyeol snorted too, introducing him Mark, the owner of the pub.

_Exodus_ was a pub mainly built on dark wood and with some good resemblances of Irish pubs.

Baekhyun went to Ireland several times in his life and he kind of enjoyed that mood and ambient.

“I like your place, Sir” he greeted him too, shaking Mark’s hand and Mark smiled at him, charmingly.

“No need of _sirs_ here. Mark is fine, _Baek_ ” he whispered back and Baekhyun smirked softly.

_Smooth, Mark_ – he thought and _Mark_ was pleasant to look at too.

Tall, auburn hair and hazelnut eyes.

Not as tall as Chanyeol and way less thick, but still pleasant.

“Mark! Stop flirting around with the guys” Yoora stated nearing them and making both Mark and Baekhyun chuckle, stares shifting toward her.

“I don’t think Baek dislikes it” Mark stated boldly and Baekhyun snorted shaking his head.

“How bold of you. Maybe after a whiskey or two?” he stated and now it was Mark’s turn to be perplexed.

It was just for a second, immediately showing him back a smirk.

“With pleasure” he replied and before anyone could comment any further, there was a small bell calling from the kitchen and Mark excused himself, going away.

Jondae, who assisted all the scene, neared them too, chuckling.

“Oh heavens, Baek. You can’t go anywhere without showing off?” he asked him and Baekhyun snorted again, shaking his head.

“Told ya. I don’t need fancy clothes to be charming” he replied softly, smiling toward him and Jondae shook his head, patting on his shoulder.

“Fancy clothes suit you very much though” Yoora commented and he smiled at her, now more sweetly, no traces of his flirty self anymore.

“Thank you, Mrs. Park. I appreciate it” he whispered and Yoora’s cheeks almost caught fire for how red they were.

“Y-Yoora is fine too, Baek” she added in a whisper and Baekhyun nodded shortly, almost imperceptibly, smile never leaving his lips.

“So, if we want to sit…” Yoora started to say, gesturing toward a big table in the corner of the room and they all started to move there, adjusting on the chairs and counting if someone was missing.

“Myeon is not coming?” Baekhyun asked him, forcing himself not to comment when he realized that the last place was near Chanyeol’s.

Yoora shook her head softly.

“He said he was busy with _things_ even if he didn’t tell me what” she replied, shrugging her shoulders, but Baekhyun knew already what it was.

Army was legally and almost _kindly_ asking EXO to loan Baekhyun for two weeks.

They need him back to Nepal because he already knew a lot about the territories and the strategies applied on the guerrilla there.

Baekhyun received a call from Choi few days before, asking him if he could convince Junmyeon to let him go.

Baekhyun refused, telling him that EXO was preparing a big mission for incoming weeks and he would have been needed also there, but the man wasn’t happy with the reply and decided to proceed via legal ways.

Unfortunately, they had plenty of ways to force him to go, but Baekhyun spoke with Junmyeon and decided to keep the thing secret from the other members of EXO at least for a while more, seeing how it would evolve.

“His loss. Let’s toast to this evening and to Yoora’s birthday!” Jongin stated and Baekhyun frowned deeply, stare moving between Jongin, Chanyeol and then Yoora.

“Is it your… Birthday today?” he asked her softly, unbelieving and stare moving to Jondae and Minseok who seemed to know nothing either.

Yoora blushed deeply, nodding shorty.

“I wanted to keep it a secret though” she blurted out, glaring toward Jongin but not instilling any fear.

Baekhyun sighed deeply and was almost apologizing, when his stare moved to an old wall piano pushed on the end of the room, near where they were sitting.

“Mark, is that tuned?” Baekhyun asked the man who nodded shortly, frowning briefly and Baekhyun sat up, walking toward the piano and slightly touching the keys.

“It was my inattention not knowing about your birthday, Yoora, and I’m sorry about it. However,” he started softly pressing the first three keys of one of Yoora’s favorite songs, making her bright up immediately, “can I make my amend like this?” he concluded starting to play the song and she smiled even more widely, taking Chanyeol’s hand and pulling him up with her, starting to dance the slow dance.

It was _For Life_ and Baekhyun caught Yoora listening to it at the end of the workday several times while he was exiting to go running.

And he knew that she loved to slowly dance at it because he spotted her doing it when she thought she was alone.

But Baekhyun didn’t stop there.

He added also lyrics, singing along with the melodies and letting himself go a bit to those warm words, finding them extremely fitting for Yoora’s sweetness.

Baekhyun learnt to play the piano from his grand-mother, when he was still a child and never let it fade completely, sometimes playing for fun or for undercover missions.

It was still one of the few joys he still had in his life.

And when he pressed the last key, melody coming to an end, Yoora was the first to start clapping her hands, perplexed but pleased by that.

Baekhyun smiled softly at her, sitting up and slightly hinting a bow.

“Sorry for not knowing about…” he started saying but she ran toward him and he had to remember himself that she wasn’t any kind of danger and let her hug him softly.

He was a bit stiff but patted her shoulder back in the embrace.

“It was beautiful, Baek!” she cheered letting him go but taking his hands in hers and he smiled softly, shaking his head.

“Regular administration” he replied sincerely, small smile appearing on his lips, and she blushed again before shooing him again to his seat and giving him a menu to choose what he wanted to eat.

It was focusing on the menu when a sudden movement at his right, made him grip harder on Chanyeol’s arm.

“Maybe not tonight?” he asked him side-glancing him behind the menu and Chanyeol snorted, shaking his head.

“One day you will explain me how in the world you do” he replied and Baekhyun sighed shortly, forcing again his smile on his lips.

“Not tonight, though?” he continued, shaking his head too and Chanyeol nodded shortly.

They ordered and then they started to chat between each other.

“I didn’t think you would give you away like that your sexual preferences” Jongin started speaking toward Baekhyun, including forcefully also Chanyeol in the discourse since he was sitting between the two of them.

Baekhyun chuckled softly, shaking his head but checking that Yoora was busy with another conversation before replying.

“I don’t mind either, if I have to be honest. But with men it’s easier” he replied, shrugging his shoulders, earning a perplexed stare from Jongin and an interested one from Chanyeol.

Even Sehun stopped speaking with Minseok to hear what they were talking about.

“What do you mean…?” Jongin asked him and Baekhyun smirked briefly.

“It’s easier to know what a man is interested into? Women like certain kind of behavior, more words and less actions. And even the actions are different” he tried to explain remaining on the vague not giving any specific details or examples.

But Jongin shook his head, not getting it and Baekhyun chuckled shortly, shaking his head.

“I don’t think it’s the right place and the right evening to get R-rated on this discourse?” he whispered back but in the very same moment he pronounced _R-rated_ both Jondae and Yoora’s stares were on him.

There was a small silence and then it was Yoora the first one to break the ice.

“Aren’t you convincing Baek to talk about something he doesn’t want to?” she asked them and they all shook their heads, including Baekhyun.

Jondae chuckled, briefly, shaking his head too.

“I think it’s more possible that Baek was trying to be delicate and not to face some _discourses_ being you here?” he added and Baekhyun nodded shortly in agreement.

“I don’t mind hot topics either?” Yoora stated and Chanyeol’s stare was perplexed on his sister making Baekhyun explode in a soundly laugh.

“Heavens, Yoora. Are you trying to kill your own brother?” he asked her, holding his laugh back, and she shook her head softly, smiling almost angelically.

“It’s not my fault if he thinks I’m still five instead of thirty. And thinking I’m the older sister” she stated and Baekhyun chuckled again shaking his head, unbelieving.

And there was a small silence but Yoora was more than interested to know what they were talking about.

“Baek was saying how women and men are attracted to different behaviors. Like flirt-related” Sehun spat out and Chanyeol glared at him, making Jongin explode in another laugh.

Yoora instead nodded, briefly smiling.

“I think it’s normal since we are biologically different. There are things that are huge turn downs for women but turn on for men and vice versa” she stated and Baekhyun nodded shortly.

“For example, I would have considered it rude if Mark spoke to me as he did with Baek. But it was clear that they were both pleased by it” Yoora continued and Baekhyun snorted, nodding shortly.

“And I would never dream of replying in the same way I did to Mark but addressing myself to a lady” Baekhyun added, shaking his head.

Jongin though was still perplexed.

“More practically?” he asked and Baekhyun inhaled deeply before moving toward where Yoora was sitting.

He gripped her hand softly, pulling at her, making her sit up and circling her waist with his arm.

She blushed deeply due to the sudden proximity and Baekhyun smiled at her softly.

Her perfume was flowery, maybe lilies-based, and her make-up made her even prettier than usual.

“You are beautiful tonight, _noona_ ” he whispered at her, fingers going to her face and fixing her hair behind her ear and she blushed even more, hiding her face in her hands, making Baekhyun chuckle and distancing her briefly.

“Sorry for making you sit up” he whispered, taking her hand and kissing it, making Yoora shake her head frantically, sitting down again.

Jondae was staring at him perplexed and Jongin was dumbfounded.

“Woah…” Sehun let out and Baekhyun shook his head shortly.

“It’s… depending on person?” he added even if he didn’t know exactly how to explain these differences, and before Jongin could ask for a _male version_ of it, Baekhyun leant in near Chanyeol, lips almost brushing his ear and hand smoothly moving on his thigh.

His perfume was so strong, pungent surely made with some spices, totally different compared to his sister’s.

And Baekhyun was so attracted to it that he didn’t even have to pretend when he started speaking.

“I wouldn’t mind having you tonight instead of Mark. And from how much you stared when I entered, I think the feeling is the same?” he whispered to Chanyeol’s ear slowly and deeply, seeing him gulping down, tongue moving shortly to lick his lips.

Baekhyun gripped slightly harder on Chanyeol’s thigh, moving his hand up and down, nearing his groin area but without entering it.

Everything of Chanyeol called for him, reminding him how much he was _exactly_ Baekhyun’s type and how strong was the sexual tension between them.

“It would be such a pleasure, don’t you think?” he concluded, standing up again and Chanyeol’s stare was already on his, darkened with lust and want.

Baekhyun smirked softly before sitting down again and shifting unwillingly his stare toward Jongin.

How he wanted it to be true just for a second.

Even if Mark was quite a catch, Chanyeol would be so pleasant under him, pleading and moaning and Baekhyun had to force himself to think about what was happening in that moment and to whatever else because he started to feel too hot and bothered by it.

“And that’s it” he whispered but Jongin shook his head briefly.

“I didn’t…” he started saying but Baekhyun chuckled shortly.

“I won’t repeat the same words I told him out loud. They would lose their charm, don’t you think?” he concluded, smiling at him and shaking his head.

Jondae instead clapped his hands perplexed.

“Really… An example to follow” he stated amazed making Baekhyun shake his head briefly.

“No, no please. I learnt this after heavens know how many undercover missions. I wouldn’t like no one to experienced them as well” he replied, frowning shortly and Sehun hummed briefly, perplexed.

“Is there something you didn’t do for army?” he asked him interested and Baekhyun shook his head briefly, without needing to think about it.

“Anything?” Jondae asked too but Baekhyun hummed thinking about it better but then he shook his head.

“Unfortunately, everything. Also going against what I considered righteous and correct” he whispered shortly before shaking again his head this time with more intent.

“The evening is nice though, let’s not speak about sad things” he stated, smiling cheerfully toward the other and in that moment a waitress arrived to bring their first orders, bringing back joy and laughter on the table.

Baekhyun smiled briefly at the scene, glad to see them again chatting happily.

He knew that things for him couldn’t be _normal_ anymore.

Reason why Choi decided to send him to EXO instead of back to a _normal_ life.

How could he simply forget all the things happened in his life?

The killings, the lives he took and the ones he saved.

His trainings, both the regular ones and the _special_ ones.

And how his senses were trained to everything, unable to simply enjoy the surprise of a back hug or a surprise from the back of a door.

They were all foolish things, small nothings but Baekhyun would never been able to properly experience them anymore.

Even before with Yoora.

He had to do his best not to treat _her_ who was a small, cute and kind secretary as a possible danger.

And it wasn’t _normal_.

Even when he was lost in his thoughts, he perceived a movement at his right again, gripping again on Chanyeol’s hand, that was only trying to pat on his shoulder.

“Your dish is here” he stated staring at him in the eyes and there was a feeling inside that usually wasn’t reserved to Baekhyun.

Chanyeol seemed to be _worried_ about him.

“Thank you” Baekhyun whispered taking the dish and forcing another small smile.

He was glad that they were all happy and cheering, but that made him realize even better how they world was so distant from his own, despite making the same work.

“You are spacing out” Chanyeol muttered toward him while he was taking his share of side dishes, mixing it up to whatever he ordered.

“Sorry” Baekhyun simply replied, focusing on eating and trying to push away all those feelings that made him feel blue.

He tried to participate in the conversation, joking around and after the dinner, Yoora asked Mark if they still could use the piano.

The pub got a bit crowded but Mark, confident in Baekhyun’s abilities, said that it was fine.

Baekhyun was glad about it.

At least he didn’t have to interact with others and simply enjoy himself playing the piano and singing a bit.

He played several songs both slow and more upbeat ones, making Yoora super happy and dancing with each one of the other EXO members.

After the first six or more songs, he kind of needed something to drink and, almost like a miracle, Chanyeol of every other member, appeared with a whiskey on the rock for him.

Baekhyun smiled softly at him, finishing the song before taking the glass that Chanyeol was offering him.

“Whiskey… Thank you” he whispered, drinking a sip and feeling it burn pleasantly down his throat.

“Thank you for making Yoora happy” he replied briefly and Baekhyun shook his head, stare moving toward Yoora that was chuckling near Kyungsoo that just arrived after his surveillance shift.

“She’s a good woman. I hope she will find a worthy man soon” he whispered back, emptying his glass and earning himself a perplexed stare from Chanyeol.

“You are not that blind. She’s obviously interested in you” Chanyeol stated, shaking his head and Baekhyun forced another smile.

“I said a worthy man” he added, forcing another smile on his lips, stare moving toward Yoora that neared him asking if he could play another song for them since Kyungsoo just arrived.

“Sure, any preferences?” he asked her, slightly bowing toward Kyungsoo, and she smiled briefly shaking her head.

“Surprise me” she concluded with a bright smile and he nodded, turning toward the keyboard and starting to play.

It was the last song of the evening so Baekhyun decided for a slow song.

_My answer_ was such a sweet song and his mother loved it to bits when Baekhyun played it to her.

Lyrics flowed from his lips like it was normal for him to sing that song, even if it was years since last time.

Yoora danced slowly with Kyungsoo, smiling and humming at the rhythm until the very end of the song, when Baekhyun whispered the last word, earning himself a round of applauses.

But the most perplexed was Chanyeol, at his side, staring at him marveled and dumbfounded.

“Was it that bad?” Baekhyun whispered him, realizing that Chanyeol’s eyes was lucid, tears clearly present.

“It was” Chanyeol replied briefly before walking away making Baekhyun inhaled deeply, shaking his head.

What in the world happened in that moment?

And why Chanyeol was still there and not with the others?

Was it really that bad?

Baekhyun didn’t play it in a while, true, but he didn’t think he went that bad.

Yoora and Jondae came immediately to cheer him up and to congratulate so… it was decent?

He smiled briefly but he couldn’t remove that image from his head.

He was so perplexed.

Baekhyun sat up, searching with his stare Chanyeol but he didn’t find him inside the pub, so he simply excused himself for a cigarette and went out, sitting near the parking lot on a small wall.

He smoked in silence, staring at the stars shining brightly in the night sky.

“You play and sing like heavens” Mark’s voice said from the entrance, descending the stairs and nearing him.

“My grandmother taught me well” he replied shrugging his shoulders.

There was a small silence and then Mark stared at him, interested.

“Are you… busy after this or can you wait until I close the store for another whiskey?” he asked him and Baekhyun chuckled.

He wanted to reply and refuse it because all his thoughts were in other direction and he wasn’t in the right mood anymore, but another voice replied in his stake.

“He has some other errands with me” Chanyeol whispered from behind Mark and Baekhyun raised his eyebrows in perplexity.

Did he?

He didn’t remember about taking any appointment with Chanyeol.

And Chanyeol was mistaking if he thought that Baekhyun needed any help refusing unwanted flirts.

“It will be for another night then, Baek” Mark concluded waiving at him and going back inside the pub.

“I manage well enough alone. You didn’t need to…” Baekhyun started but Chanyeol neared him, stretching his hand toward him.

“I know. Won’t you come with me?” he asked him briefly and his tone was serious, not jokingly nor flirting.

“Where to?” Baekhyun retorted, but he was already sitting up, interested.

“A place important to me” he replied honestly and Baekhyun nodded shortly.

“Did you come here with your car?” Baekhyun asked him and Chanyeol shook his head.

“Yoora wanted to drive until here so we came with hers” he replied and Baekhyun then walked toward his own, unlocking it with the remote.

They both sat in, fastening their safety belt and Baekhyun turned down the volume of the radio.

“Guide me where to” he whispered before turning on the engine and driving off the parking lot.

He followed Chanyeol’s directions in silence for almost forty minutes in a direction totally different respect to EXO base.

At a certain point his phone went off, ringing and he took the call, coming from Minseok.

“Baek, where are you?” he asked him and Baekhyun hummed softly.

“Driving around. You manage to go home?” he retorted and Minseok replied affirmatively.

“Will you take any longer? Because we lost Yeol. Do you know where he is? Because he doesn’t reply to his phone either…” he started saying and Baekhyun’s stare moved toward Chanyeol who frowned briefly.

“Your phone… they tried to call you” Baekhyun whispered, distancing his phone from his mouth, not knowing if Chanyeol was fine with the others knowing that they were together or not.

Chanyeol pulled it out of his pockets and the screen was completely dark, the battery completely dead.

“Can I reassure them or…?” he started but Chanyeol nodded briefly.

“He’s here with me. His phone is dead. Did you need something? Can I put you through?” he asked him and Minseok chuckled unbelieving.

“You are telling me that you are somewhere with Yeol and his phone is dead?” he inquired back and Baekhyun replied affirmatively.

“Baek, may I remember you that for how much is great that you want to create some bond with him, he hates the hell out of you? And his only aim is finding your weak point?” he asked him and Baekhyun sighed deeply.

“I know, _hyung_. I know. You don’t need to worry” he replied trying to reassure him and he really wanted it to be true, because he had a lot of _worries_ in that moment.

Driving with Chanyeol in a place he didn’t know where it was?

He must be completely out of his head.

“Pass me through Yeol” he almost ordered and Baekhyun gave the phone to Chanyeol.

“Xiumin for you” he stated forcing himself to use their _codenames_ instead of his Minseok’s real name and then he focused on the street.

Chanyeol stayed silent listening to whatever Minseok was telling him and that ended with a simple “got ya” before he could close the call giving back the phone to Baekhyun that put it near the gearshift.

There was another small silence and then Chanyeol gestured him a small street on the right of the main road.

Baekhyun turned right and went down of it until the very end.

The street was dark but Baekhyun drove until he reached the end where there was a small gate ending the road.

Baekhyun opened the door, taking his phone with him.

“Where are we?” he asked Chanyeol who didn’t reply him but simply started to walk, pushing the small gate open and climbing up the small hill behind it.

Baekhyun followed him, staying shortly behind him.

He trusted Chanyeol without knowing anything.

Not where they were going, not how far it was or any other things.

He was trusting Chanyeol _way too much_.

Baekhyun wasn’t even equipped with any weapon and he didn’t know if Chanyeol had one or not.

However, Chanyeol’s stare from before and his tone soft when he told him that they were going in an _important place for him_ , made Baekhyun trust him for a while more.

And when they reached the top of the hill, Baekhyun was speechless.

In the distance they could see the lights of the city, but much in distance than Baekhyun didn’t even know about the existence of a place that high where one could see Seoul from that prospective.

However, being the place dark, one could see also the stars very clearly.

“Where…?” Baekhyun whispered and this time Chanyeol turned toward him.

His face was lighted up by the bright lights of the city, but in his eyes stars were reflecting.

And he looked even more beautiful and stunning than usual, free of his usual frown and cold stance, only small smile present on his lips.

“Part of Park’s garden” he replied softly and Baekhyun frowned shortly.

“My father bought this property just because it gave him more power, not because he actually wanted to take care about it. So, I did it in his stake. Built that small house over there,” he started explaining, head gesturing toward a small wooden hut, “and came here to see the stars and playing the guitar when I felt too tired of the world” he concluded and Baekhyun’s eyes were sparkling.

It felt almost like a dream.

Or at least, Baekhyun’s dream.

He always dreamt of a place where he could escape all the things that were pressuring him even only for few hours, forgetting about his family, about army, about not being able to have a normal life.

He would even had _paid_ for it.

However, for a way or another, it was never a possibility to him.

“You are… lucky to have such a place” he whispered briefly and Chanyeol nodded shortly, inhaling deeply and walking toward the small house.

“Are you up to another drink?” he asked him and this time, Baekhyun hummed in consent, without thinking about it twice.

Chanyeol opened the door, switching on the lights and revealing an even more comfortable and warm space that Baekhyun could expect.

There was a big couch and a fireplace.

A small kitchen.

A slightly bigger bathroom.

And a modest bedroom.

If it reached the hundred meters square it was already too much, but it was beautiful.

Baekhyun didn’t ignored the small wall piano and the guitar near the couch, though.

“It’s cozy here” Baekhyun observed looking around and Chanyeol hummed softly, nearing the fireplace and preparing to light it up.

“The only place that it’s out of the world” Chanyeol added before turning around and smiling softly toward Baekhyun and moving to retrieve two glasses and a bottle of whiskey.

“I don’t have ice, though” Chanyeol whispered and Baekhyun chuckled, shaking his head.

“It will be fine” he retorted smiling briefly at him too.

They sat on the couch and Chanyeol poured the amber liquor in the glass and gave it to Baekhyun, before pouring one for himself.

There was more silence during which Baekhyun sipped his whiskey, looking at the fireplace getting more alive than before.

“Is there a real reason why you brought me here?” Baekhyun asked him softly, not staring toward Chanyeol but getting a low chuckle in reply that forced his stare to move toward the man sitting near him.

When Chanyeol laughed, the world brightened up.

And it wasn’t only the cozy and warm atmosphere of that place.

It was like the sun came out in the real sense of the word.

Baekhyun found himself perplexed in thinking such bright things about another human being.

“No, not exactly” he replied and on Baekhyun’s lips appeared even a wider smile.

“And here I thought that you wanted to propose me sex, finally” he commented letting out a short laugh and Chanyeol snorted.

“So early? I’m enjoying the sexual tension” he retorted making Baekhyun shake his head, smiling even more.

“Let’s play dumb a little bit more then and let me hear you play that guitar. We can play together if _that_ is tuned” he proposed, head gesturing toward the piano and Chanyeol nodded shortly.

“I like it. Let’s do it” he whispered, emptying the glass and picking up his guitar.

Baekhyun sat up and went to the piano, opening the cover that hid the keyboard and passing his fingers on it.

“You play piano too?” Baekhyun asked him and Chanyeol hummed while tuning the guitar.

“Sometimes. But I like guitar more” he replied and Baekhyun smiled softly again.

“Which genre do you prefer?” Baekhyun inquired again, pouring himself another glass of whiskey and starting to sip it, while with a hand he started a vaguely jazzy motif.

“This one was nice” Chanyeol muttered and Baekhyun emptied the glass, putting it aside and starting to play with more intent, following the previous rhythm and transforming it in something even more jazzy.

Baekhyun wasn’t playing something defined or following a song already known in his head.

He was simply meddling, shifting between tempos and beats he knew and while he was switching between genres, Chanyeol started inserting himself with some chords of guitar and Baekhyun started to adapt the music to Chanyeol’s own tempo, creating something even different and hearing Chanyeol’s chuckle.

“You are good” he stated and Baekhyun hummed, starting to add some _nanana_ to the rhythm and Chanyeol snorted briefly.

“ _Nanana_?” he observed perplexed yet pleased by Baekhyun versatility.

“If you want me to sing, I have to play something I know” he added and Chanyeol’s fingers stopped on the strings, gesturing toward Baekhyun.

“Whatever you please” he replied and Baekhyun shook his head briefly, fingers moving to another song that his mother loved a lot.

_My favorite things_ was a song that she loved to bits and always made her laugh the fact that Baekhyun forced that strange falsetto to sing in a high tone like Julie Andrews in _The sound of music_.

Baekhyun like it too and sometimes added things not existing in the original list of _favorite things_.

And this time too when he got to the part of _snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes,_ he also added _whiskey with no ice and the sound of burning ashes_.

Chanyeol exploded in a laugh that literally forced Baekhyun to stop and look at him just to being sure he was fine.

He was laughing so much splashed on the couch and Baekhyun could stop snickering either.

He wanted to say that it was the whiskey fault, but he knew it wasn’t only that.

Baekhyun drank only few glasses, way far from being even slightly tipsy.

“Byun, you killed me, really” Chanyeol stated pressing his hands on his stomach, tears in his eyes and Baekhyun chuckled briefly.

“Sorry, just an old thing between me and my mother. She loved this song and she loved when I added weird things on the list” he explained and Chanyeol got serious almost immediately.

“Loved? What happened…?” he asked him and Baekhyun hummed briefly, before pouring himself another glass of whiskey.

“Nothing. My parents divorced, and she went away, far from home. I knew only last year that she died few years ago” he replied and Chanyeol frowned deeply, shaking his head.

“Wait and why nobody told you before?” he asked him and Baekhyun snorted, shaking his head, emptying another glass.

Memories of the last years were all mixed up and he couldn’t almost tell anymore when he did what.

“Because I’m nobody. My brother told me just because I once asked him _who knows how’s mom_ ” he started saying, softly, gripping slightly harder on the glass, before staring toward Chanyeol.

“It’s… not exactly easy when you know that your family can’t stand you and the only thing they want from you is _result_. In the military career, in life, in everything. My father called me one of the first days I was at EXO just to ask me why I left the army. Not because he wanted to know if I was… _fine_. And he never bothered giving me an explanation on anything. Not on why my mother went away, not why he didn’t phone me when my grandmother died and neither why he decided that my brother would have been more suitable for inheriting everything concerning our family, excluding me from _that very same_ everything” he explained briefly, showing him a small smile.

Those things happened during those years now seemed idiocies to Baekhyun, but at the beginning they were difficult to understand and to live through.

Later when they started to become more frequent, he simply stopped caring about them.

Chanyeol instead was frowning and unbelieving.

“But you achieved so much and also went through that special training…” he started saying and Baekhyun chuckled bitterly, shaking his head.

“He never called me. Neither when he knew that I almost lost my life in an air raid in Nepal. Nor when I saved some people in Kazakhstan, being in coma for more than a week. And neither when that _special training_ he literally forced me on with Lieutenant general Choi, revealed itself a failure being it applied literally only on me since all the others that were with me lost their lives in suicidal missions or took their lives away” he added, pouring himself another glass.

Speaking of those things made him always feel a little bit blue, even though he was already used to them and his father’s behavior didn’t shake him anymore.

“It’s unfair, though…” Chanyeol started saying and Baekhyun smiled softly toward him, before emptying the glass in one go.

“Somehow, I understand him…” he whispered, fingers moving to caress again the keyboard near him.

“Why?” Chanyeol inquired, making him gesture to sit near him on the couch and Baekhyun nodded shortly, moving to sit near Chanyeol.

Chanyeol put down the guitar, pouring himself another glass too and refilling also Baekhyun’s.

“Because in the end, what did I achieve in my life? I constantly dream of war scenes and places destroyed by people that preach peace. What I did, wasn’t for a _superior good_ , it was because someone paid me for it. And after all, my first job is always the same, Park, I’m a sniper and as it, I take away lives. Too many to be counted” he stated shaking his head before chuckling again, pushing away all of that away.

He told Chanyeol even too much about his past and things that didn’t particularly matter.

“Enough with this though. I didn’t want to sadden the mood this much” he added, smiling softly and emptying again the glass.

Contrary to all his predictions, Chanyeol leant his head on Baekhyun’s shoulder.

“You are more than that, Byun” he whispered softly, briefly, tone so low and sweet that Baekhyun was perplexed from an instant.

Then though, Baekhyun snorted.

“And you are drunk, Park. Sleep a bit, will you?” he retorted but Chanyeol commented that he wasn’t drunk and emptied the rest of his glass.

This time though, instead of leaning on Baekhyun’s shoulder, he leant on Baekhyun’s laps, using them as pillow, making him frown perplexed.

He never had someone sleeping on his laps and he didn’t know exactly which was the right way to proceed.

So, he simply took one of the plaids that were folded on the couch and spread it on Chanyeol covering most of him, and caressed his hair, singing softly old lullabies his grandmother always sang him too.

By the time he finished the bottle of whiskey alone, he was definitely drunk but Chanyeol was fast asleep on his laps.

That was the weirdest night ever happened to Baekhyun since he had memory.

It never happened to him that someone invited him in a remote place, proposed him to drink, admitted being physically interested in him, played some music and, after some old tales of the past, fell asleep on his laps.

Baekhyun smiled softly, leaning better his head to the back of the couch.

Whatever it will be of that night, it will remain the weirdest ever.

Baekhyun woke up the day after, pressing headache at the back of his head.

Chanyeol shifted position during the night, always remaining on his laps, but facing Baekhyun.

He was so soft and almost cute while he was sleeping and Baekhyun found himself smiling even before he could realize it.

His stare went to the clock.

Nine twenty-five am.

Wait.

_Nine twenty-five am_!

They had a meeting with all the others like… twenty-five minutes ago.

“Park, Park… wake up, we have to go” he started pressing slightly on Chanyeol’s shoulder and he groaned, snuggling his face in Baekhyun’s stomach, dangerously near other more sensible parts.

Baekhyun inhaled sharply, trying to contain the impulse of forgetting about EXO and the morning meeting just to spend the whole morning with a soft and sweet Chanyeol like the one he was witnessing in that moment.

However, it wasn’t a possibility and they had to move and go back as soon as possible.

“Yeol, Chanyeol” Baekhyun continued, shaking him a little bit fervently.

“What?” he spat out and Baekhyun inhaled deeply.

“We are late. The others are waiting for us. We should have been to the base like twenty-five minutes ago” he stated and Chanyeol sat up immediately, staggering a bit and Baekhyun’s hands were immediately on him.

“Let’s stop to the nearest mini-market to take some coffee and something to eat and go there directly” he added and Chanyeol hummed even if he wasn’t exactly awake.

Baekhyun sighed again, shaking his head.

“Park, for heavens’ sake, a little bit more cooperative” he whispered, starting to help him put his jacket on and Chanyeol murmured something difficulty intelligible.

Baekhyun pushed him out of the house, literally feeling all Chanyeol’s pockets to find the keys to close the house.

And when he was driving back, using Maps to find the right direction, Chanyeol fell asleep again on the passenger’s seat.

Baekhyun stopped in a mini-mart, buying coffees and some donuts while calling Jondae.

“Baek! What the hell? Where are you! I was so worried for fuck’s sake! Did Yeol killed you? Or wait, no, you are calling me so perhaps you killed him?” he asked when he picked up the call but Baekhyun groaned in reply, not having his dose of caffeine yet.

“Don’t shout and listen. We are both alive. We simply drank too much yesterday and I forgot to put the alarm on, okay. Give me half an hour and we’ll be there” he explained going to the cashier to pay.

The woman at the cashier gave him a weird smile, probably for how he was dressed and probably a little wasted too.

He bought also some painkillers because he couldn’t drive until EXO with that headache.

“I want to know all the details when you arrive. I’ll go tell Myeon that we can meet up around eleven?” Jondae asked him at the phone and Baekhyun sighed.

“Eleven sounds more than great. I owe you another one” he concluded, ending the call and, after paying, he ate his own donut on the way to the car and drank the painkillers with a sip of coffee.

When he arrived at the car Chanyeol was still sleeping and Baekhyun let him be.

The way home was still long.

Baekhyun drove in silence, focusing on the street and praying that his headache would at least tone down a bit.

When it was almost fifteen minutes to EXO base, he patted on Chanyeol’s thigh.

“Park, wake up. We are almost there” he whispered, trying to wake him up and when Chanyeol didn’t reply, he pinched his cheek.

He sat up immediately perplexed, staring around without realizing where he was.

“Heavens bless I wasn’t a kidnapper” Baekhyun whispered and Chanyeol groaned in frustration pressing his fingers on his temples.

“Everything is too loud” he whispered too and Baekhyun gave him a can of coffee and two donuts.

“Eat. I have painkillers too” he stated and Chanyeol sighed in relief, starting to munch on a donut.

“Thank you” he muttered and Baekhyun smiled briefly.

“It seems we are not mortal enemies anymore, no?” he stated softly and Chanyeol let out a low chuckle shaking slowly his head.

“You are half-decent. I think we can cooperate a bit, after all… _Baek_ ” he whispered and Baekhyun smiled at him softly.

“Thanks, _Yeol_ ” he concluded, earning himself a small sweet smile.

Baekhyun almost couldn’t believe it and it cost them both the longest reprimand in all their lives, but they managed to build something strong out of it.

When Baekhyun parked the car in the parking lot, they used the secondary entrance to go down to the dorms to change clothes and at least look slightly better than they did.

Baekhyun didn’t find anyone in his shared room so he took a quick shower and wore his usual clothes, jeans, a carmine red t-shirt and his ash gray parka.

He felt his pocket finding also his strawberry pin and, after double checking that he was fine and there weren’t any more traces of make up on his face, he went to the fitness area, where they were used to meet up.

When he entered the room, all the stares were on him, since Chanyeol wasn’t there yet.

“Baek!” Minseok exclaimed almost running toward him and Baekhyun raised his hand, clapping a high-five with him.

“We were worried” Minseok added but Baekhyun shook his head briefly, cautiously since the dull ache remained there despite the painkillers.

“I know, I’m sorry” he replied briefly and Jondae neared them together with Sehun and Jongin.

“You were with Yeol?” Sehun asked him and Baekhyun nodded.

He wanted to explain but in that moment Chanyeol entered the room too, being his usual annoyed self.

Baekhyun’s stare was on him immediately, worried but Chanyeol shook his head briefly, making Baekhyun understand that everything was _fine_ for how much fine that situation could be.

“Yeol! We were worried!” Sehun stated nearing him and Chanyeol hummed shortly.

“Sorry guys. Something came up and…” he started saying but Sehun shook his head.

“And you were with Baek, so…?” he added, gesturing him to continue speaking and both Chanyeol and Baekhyun replied but in two different ways.

“And nothing” Baekhyun replied while Chanyeol stated a concise but effective “And we fucked”, making Baekhyun deeply frown.

Why stating something that didn’t happen?

“We were a bit drunk and stopped by a hotel and… do you need also details?” Chanyeol explained toward Sehun who chuckled, shaking his head.

“No, thank you. For how much Baek’s body is pleasant to see, I can do without your erotic tale” he replied immediately, shrugging his shoulders, while Jondae hummed in thought.

“Actually, I wouldn’t mind knowing…” he started saying making Baekhyun snort.

He didn’t know why Chanyeol came up with that version, but there had to be a reason.

Chanyeol didn’t do things without reason.

He was too wise for it.

“Hold your horses, Dae” Baekhyun whispered moving his hands in front of him and before someone could add anything else, Junmyeon entered too.

“Oh, here they are. What the hell happened to you guys?” he asked toward Baekhyun and Chanyeol, who both kneeled down on the ground.

“We are deeply sorry” they both stated, bowing and the most ironic thing was that they didn’t prepare that part in the slightest but the coordination was on top.

“You should be! You know how worried I was about you? I mean, what if something happened to you last night and we didn’t know anything about it! You could be in danger!” he stated and Baekhyun raised his head perplexed.

“You…” he started, voice almost barely leaving his mouth.

“You are scolding us because you were worried about us?” he asked him and Junmyeon frowned deeply, nodding like it was the most obvious thing.

“And for what else, Baek?” he asked him and Baekhyun chuckled softly.

“Last time something like this happened, the reason why I was being scolded was totally different, so I’m almost… glad right now?” he replied honestly, earning himself an exasperation huff from Junmyeon.

“Like I told you before, stop thinking about _before_. You are not there anymore. And I was really worried about you guys. Please, next time at least let one of your friends know where you are and if you are fine” he concluded and Baekhyun bowed again, this time even deeper than before, forehead touching the floor.

“Thank you” he concluded and Junmyeon sighed crouching in front of both of them.

“And I hope you have a good explanation for this tardiness or at least you will show me that now you are _more than ready_ to finally work together?” he added and Baekhyun moved his stare toward Chanyeol who exploded in a laugh like the one of the night before.

Baekhyun frowned deeply, not understanding exactly what was happening but then Chanyeol in his laughing fit muttered a whispered “ _burning ashes”_ pointing to the combination of Baekhyun’s red t-shirt and grey parka and Baekhyun snorted too before letting out a soundly laughter in memory of the previous night.

The others around them were perplexed but Chanyeol clapped his hand on Baekhyun’s shoulder and he didn’t even make the gesture to avoid it or to block it.

He simply let him laugh like he wanted, until he was fine with it.

“Okay, after this sudden laugh, can we continue with today’s schedule or…?” Junmyeon asked them and Chanyeol nodded, hardly holding back another laugh, and Baekhyun nodded too.

“Yeah, we are sorry again” Baekhyun added, jabbing Chanyeol’s in his ribs and he finally quiet down.

“Very sorry” Chanyeol concluded, pressing his hands on the point when Baekhyun hit him.

Junmyeon stared at them perplexed and unbelieving.

“Maybe a miracle happened last night? Or the two of you shouldn’t be let alone anymore?” he asked them and the very same moment Baekhyun’s stare moved toward Chanyeol’s, Chanyeol chuckled again.

“Stop it, Yeol. Really…” Baekhyun whispered, trying his best not to be infected by Chanyeol’s contagious laugh.

“Okay, I’m fine, fine. Sorry. Let’s talk about serious matters” Chanyeol whispered and Baekhyun had to suppress another laugh because Chanyeol was so hilarious while he was trying to convince himself to be serious.

“Sure, indeed. Baek, go on that side of the room and you, Yeol, on the other. I won’t allow you anymore too near during a meeting” Junmyeon declared and they both nodded distancing themselves.

All of that meeting was simply to inform them that the term for that _important mission_ was slightly shifted at the end of the month, giving them three more weeks to prepare.

“We have to use them at our fullest. Especially the two of you” Junmyeon started saying gesturing toward Baekhyun and Chanyeol.

They both nodded and Junmyeon asked them some results of their training together, asking the others to back off slightly.

Baekhyun picked his strawberry pin from his pocket and pulled back his hair.

For how much he took a small liking into Chanyeol, he didn’t have to forget that Chanyeol was still after his weakest spot and he had to face him with all he got, not half-doing things.

Not that Baekhyun was the kind of person of _half-doing_ things, but he would need all his concentration for that, especially since his head was still killing him.

And they started sparring, at the beginning slowly, adapting to each other’s pace and then setting a higher tempo, raising the speed of hits and attacks.

Baekhyun was always surprised by Chanyeol’s progresses even if he was still far from Baekhyun’s level.

And he was almost hitting Chanyeol’s on his left side with a middle kick when there was a great noise from outside.

“Sir, no, sir! You can’t enter!” Yoora’s voice stated but the door opened and Choi entered from the door.

Baekhyun frowned seeing him here.

“Lieutenant general…” Baekhyun whispered, immediately taking off his strawberry pin and trying to fix his hair decently.

Choi frowned looking at him, disappointed.

“I sent you practicing with kids?” he asked Baekhyun who shook his head shortly.

“No, sir, I…” he started replying but Choi stopped him with a gesture of his hand.

“I’m here for this” he stated extracting a pale blue paper from his jacket and giving it to Baekhyun who didn’t open it.

He knew exactly what it was.

“So, we got to this?” he asked him, gripping at it harder in his hands.

That blue paper was an appearance injunction to Baekhyun from the Military Jury.

For insubordination in front of a _greater mission that went beyond previous agreement and deemed him the only person suitable to supervise that mission_.

It wasn’t the first time Baekhyun received one.

“You force me to” Choi replied and Baekhyun frowned.

“Where. And for how long” he asked him coldly, knowing that there wasn’t anything to do and Choi smirked briefly.

“Told ya. Nepal, two weeks” he replied briefly and Baekhyun’s stare moved toward Junmyeon, who shook his head.

“Right now we can’t do it, Baek. There’s…” he started saying but Choi stopped him immediately with a small gesture of his hand.

“It wouldn’t be necessarily _now_. You have a mission due to the end of this month? We are fine in waiting until you finish it” he stated and Baekhyun sighed deeply.

It was clear that Nepal was just another excuse.

It was a while now since Choi’s intentions were clear and Baekhyun knew that he, or who for him, wanted him dead cold.

“You are trying again to take me out, right?” he asked directly to Choi who shrugged his shoulders.

“Don’t know why we should. You are a precious resource to us, I always told you” he replied briefly and Baekhyun bit his lips, shifting his stare away.

“If you are done here, go away. I’ll let you know our answer in few days” Baekhyun stated at the end, voice barely audible and Choi chuckled.

“Forty-eight hours, former Brigadier general Byun” he concluded going away and Baekhyun wanted to burn up that letter and maybe also Choi with it.

“Baek?” Yoora’s voice was the first one he heard and he smiled shortly at her.

“I’m sorry. Did he scare you? Was he rude?” he asked her, forcing his smile a bit further and she nodded briefly.

Baekhyun slightly patted her shoulder.

“Everything will be fine. He won’t come here anymore” he stated trying to reassure her and he mentally added _hopefully_ because probably next time Baekhyun wouldn’t be such a composed person anymore.

“Baek, who the hell…” Jondae started asking him but Baekhyun turned around, staring at them shaking his head.

“Lieutenant general Choi. My… superior in army. And the one who decided that I was suitable for that _special training_ ” he explained briefly, folding the blue paper and making it disappear inside his pockets, but Chanyeol’s stare was perplexed and worried on him.

“And that one?” he asked him making Baekhyun shrug his shoulders.

“His way to control me even when I’m not part of the army anymore” he replied honestly and Chanyeol frown got even deeper.

“How can he…?” he started but Baekhyun stopped him with a gesture of his hand.

“As I told you, I’m part of a special program and it came with _special_ rules. If my abilities are deemed suitable for a mission in wherever places in the world and the NATO requires my intervention, I _must_ go there. Otherwise, I will receive this blue paper telling me that I’m refusing to do my job and can be incarcerated or sentenced to enforced labors” he explained forcing a small smile, before turning toward Junmyeon.

“I have to go, Myeon. They will wait for the end of this mission, but I have to go” he stated and Junmyeon neared him, shaking his head.

“They are trying to kill you, Baek” he whispered, stare worried and for the first time Baekhyun really felt like someone was actually taking care of him.

Was really _worrying_ about him.

But it was just a moment.

Because Baekhyun knew that Junmyeon needed his abilities as Choi needed them.

Not Baekhyun himself, but his abilities.

“I know, but I can’t do anything else” he replied shaking his head and even before he could comment any other thing, Junmyeon’s hand ruffled his hair.

“I’ll find a solution, I promise. Maybe not this time, but there won’t be a next one” he added and Baekhyun forced a smile.

Even Choi at the beginning said the same.

That he would have find solutions, that Baekhyun had to trust him and him only.

And Baekhyun did.

He trusted Choi like he never trusted anyone else.

Except that Choi was doing his own interests and he didn’t care in the slightest about Baekhyun.

About the fact that his _special training_ was a failure and Baekhyun had nightmares for years before he could start discerning which was reality and which dreams again.

About how Baekhyun risked his life several times to protect him personally.

Or their nation, when he asked him to.

Baekhyun trusted Choi until the end of the world and back.

But he wasn’t blind and after the fourth time that Choi sent him on suicidal mission from where Baekhyun barely managed to come back, he started asking himself _questions_.

And not only to himself, also to other people around him, around them.

Baekhyun was a cost to Choi.

That’s why he was trying his best to kill him.

_With every possible way_.

And that was why Baekhyun grew tougher than before, and more annoying than before, almost hoping that Choi finally decided to let him go.

And when he did it with EXO, Baekhyun almost felt like he won the jackpot.

But no, he had to come back again and again, trying to meddle again with his life and his choices.

So, no.

He didn’t trust Junmyeon as he did with Choi.

Because the only person Baekhyun could trust was Baekhyun himself and nobody else.

And he knew that once again he was in a situation from which he had to exit with his own strengths.

“Let’s focus on this, for the moment” Baekhyun concluded, forcing another smile and shaking his head, making the others nod briefly.

Whatever it would come, Baekhyun would have faced it.

The weeks that there were between that moment and the mission, passed relatively quickly.

Baekhyun trained more than before, especially with Chanyeol making their relationship even closer.

After that night at Chanyeol’s small house, Baekhyun seek for Chanyeol’s company, even in his few free moments.

They were the only moment when, with small jokes or weird behaviors he managed to make Chanyeol laugh, literally brightening his own days up too.

And it was a good therapy as long as Chanyeol let him do it.

With the other EXO’s members everything was fine.

He assured them about the mission in Nepal and that there wasn’t anything to fear.

In less than two weeks he would be back and they would neither realize that he was gone.

It was almost ten days since Choi’s visit to EXO and Baekhyun was sitting in the common area, fidgeting with his phone.

“Let’s go” Chanyeol stated entering the room without even greeting and Baekhyun frowned briefly.

“Where to?” he asked back but Chanyeol was already throwing at him a jacket, probably Chanyeol’s own since it had his same cologne.

“This time I told Sehun we are going away” he simply replied and Baekhyun sat up, knowing where they were going.

“Do you want me to drive?” Baekhyun asked him and Chanyeol nodded briefly.

“Is it necessary to take…?” Baekhyun tried again but Chanyeol stood on the door, sighing deeply.

“Yeah, yourself. So, move your ass and let’s go” he concluded walking away and Baekhyun sighed deeply too, fingers carding through his hair.

He put on the jacket and started to walk outside, writing a message to CBX chat group.

_Baek_ wrote:

[04:27PM] Going away with Yeol. Be back tomorrow.

The message got read immediately and Jondae’s reply was already there.

_TheGreat_ wrote:

[04:28PM] Please use some protections!

Baekhyun sighed deeply, shaking his head and nearing his car, unlocking it with the remote.

They didn’t get any peace since Chanyeol said that they fucked.

Apparently, nobody knew about that small house of Chanyeol, so he wanted to guard his secret as dear as he could, even saying that he and Baekhyun fucked when it wasn’t true.

So sometimes, when they had time to go away in the evening and coming back in the early morning the day after, Baekhyun would drive them until that small house on the hill and they would spend time together, speaking of small nothings and playing some music together.

It never happened that they _really_ fucked, much to Baekhyun’s sadness and discomfort, but he knew it was only a matter of time.

Because the sexual tension was getting so much that maybe it became also visible.

Especially during physical practices or those times where they happened to share shower time and so on.

Baekhyun wanted to touch Chanyeol _oh so much_ and it was clear that Chanyeol wanted the same.

“Let’s stop somewhere to pick up something to eat for tonight?” Chanyeol proposed him while he was sitting on the passenger seat and Baekhyun nodded briefly.

And they did, Baekhyun drove in silence, letting Chanyeol deciding on which radio station to play and what to buy when they stopped at a mini-mart.

Nor that he particularly cared about anything else.

He only came to consider very dear those few moments he was able to spend with Chanyeol, seeing him for what he actually was and not for what he forced himself to be.

And Baekhyun could literally see Chanyeol changing, the nearer they got to that small house.

“I really love this place” Baekhyun whispered once they were inside the house and Chanyeol chuckled softly.

“I love it too. It’s… my time alone” he replied and Baekhyun hummed briefly, shaking his head.

“Not anymore. Every time you come up here you invite me along. It’s almost… our time more than yours only” he whispered and Chanyeol turned around, staring at Baekhyun who pressed his lips in a thin line.

He blurted it out like it was almost talking to himself but he realized that maybe it was the right moment to face it also with Chanyeol instead of turning around it in circle.

“Or am I mistaking?” he asked shortly and Chanyeol avoided his stare in grand style.

“Why you keep inviting me here, Yeol?” Baekhyun asked him, whispering softly, nearing Chanyeol who was now standing in front of him.

When Chanyeol didn’t reply anything, Baekhyun’s hand moved shortly toward Chanyeol’s cheek, slightly caressing it.

Chanyeol flinched, surprised by the sweet contact, but leant in on the coldness of Baekhyun’s hand.

“And why you keep pretending we are not so damn attracted to each other?” he asked again making Chanyeol frown briefly before shaking again his head.

“We never had…” he started saying but Baekhyun stopped him immediately.

“Occasion?” he supplied and when Chanyeol nodded, he chuckled softly.

“With all the times we came here, only the two of us…” he whispered and Chanyeol finally met his stare.

Baekhyun lost his stare in Chanyeol’s for a brief second, feeling Chanyeol’s warmth on his hand.

And for a moment, just one and for the first time in years, he wavered, wondering if he wasn’t mistaking and Chanyeol wasn’t interested in him sexually in the slightest and only cared to share those moments peacefully with him.

“Or maybe I’m just misunderstanding the signs” Baekhyun added stare shifting away but when he made the gesture to distance his hand from Chanyeol’s cheek, Chanyeol gripped slightly on it, kissing it softly.

“You never mistake” Chanyeol stated in a whisper, bringing again Baekhyun’s hand on his cheek.

Baekhyun raised his eyebrows pleasantly perplexed.

Was Chanyeol agreeing with him?

“And why then…?” Baekhyun started asking, but Chanyeol closed the small distance that still existed between them, towering Baekhyun with his height, stare not leaving his, strong and decided, completely different from his uncertainty of few instants before.

“Because you are already addicting as you are. If we mix up also sex, I won’t be able to get enough of you” he replied, voice near Baekhyun’s ear, a soft whisper, touching Baekhyun’s side with his other hand.

Baekhyun let out a low chuckle, hand moving to caress Chanyeol’s neck, pulling him down, forcing him to look back at him.

“And… would that be a problem?” he asked again, lips few inches apart from Chanyeol’s, stare inquiring his, waiting for Chanyeol to finally let him in or refuse him forever.

“Not if you are willing to spend even more time with me” he muttered softly and Baekhyun shortly shake his head.

“I am more than willing” he concluded definitely closing that small distance and pressing his lips on Chanyeol’s.

It wasn’t a sweet kiss, slow and soft.

It was passionate, full of all their repressed sexual tension of those months and Baekhyun bit Chanyeol’s bottom lip, forcing his way in, pulling him down, fingers carding through his hair.

“Baek…” Chanyeol groaned between the kiss and slightly pushing Baekhyun toward the couch.

Baekhyun walked backward, until the couch, without interrupting the kiss and even before he could ask Chanyeol anything, Chanyeol forced him to sit, before leaning in and sitting on his laps, fingers immediately carding through his hair.

Baekhyun closed his eyes, enjoying the sensation of Chanyeol’s hands in his hair and his warmth on his laps.

Baekhyun’s hands went immediately to Chanyeol’s side, gripping softly, fingers finding their ways under Chanyeol’s sweater.

“Your hands are cold” Chanyeol whispered, shivers running down his spine and Baekhyun chuckled shortly, shaking his head.

“Let me warm up then… your skin is so soft and pleasant to touch” he replied, moving his fingers up to Chanyeol’s sides and then on his back, making him shiver even more, repressing another groan.

“Let me touch you too” he added and Baekhyun nodded shortly, taking away his hands from under Chanyeol’s sweater and moving them on his own back, gripping the sweater and pulling it out, remaining only with his t-shirt.

While he pulled it out, his abs showed up and Chanyeol’s hands went immediately there, touching and caressing, making Baekhyun’s skin goosebumps.

“You are cold also here…? How is it even possible?” Chanyeol asked him, moving on his sides and then up to his torso, almost until his nipples.

Baekhyun bit his lips, pulling again down Chanyeol to kiss him again.

“Are you here to comment on my low temperature or…?” he asked him between kisses and Chanyeol chuckled, moving his lips on Baekhyun’s chin and then on his neck, slowly kissing him.

Baekhyun hid another groan, hands going again under Chanyeol’s sweater and up to his nipples, pinching them not-so-softly, earning a moan and a bite on his neck from Chanyeol.

“I swear that you if you leave visible marks…” Baekhyun started making Chanyeol chuckle.

“Sure, sure…” he whispered back before biting him even harder, sucking a hickey on his neck, slightly above his collarbones.

“Yeol” Baekhyun whined, shifting their position and pushing Chanyeol to lay down on the couch towering him.

“Won’t be better to move on the bed, instead of…” Chanyeol started saying but Baekhyun leant in, biting him on the neck, sucking a hickey too, purple blooming on his skin, earning himself a deep moan and a grip on his hair.

“And yeah, bedroom” he concluded sitting up and pulling up Chanyeol with him, leading him until the bed, taking off Chanyeol’s sweater and t-shirt in the meantime, throwing them somewhere behind them.

Once there, he pushed him on the bed, removing his own t-shirt, hovering on Chanyeol.

Chanyeol’s stare was on Baekhyun’s physique, admiring his pectorals and abs, hands moving on them immediately.

“You are so toned and handsome” Chanyeol whispered and Baekhyun chuckled, shaking his head, leaning in to kiss him on his chin and then down to his neck and shortly biting there too.

“Should I comment too or you know already how damn fine you look every single moment of your life?” he asked him, kissing his way down to Chanyeol’s nipples.

He snuggled his nose on one of them, earning himself a low groan, feeling Chanyeol’s fingers carding in his hair.

“Baek…” he called him softly and Baekhyun smiled before licking it slowly, making Chanyeol arch his back, gripping slightly harder in Baekhyun’s hair.

“You are so erotic” Baekhyun whispered, biting his nipple, fingers moving to the other one and playing with it.

Chanyeol bit his lips harder, muffling a low moan, and Baekhyun felt his own erection getting thicker in his jeans.

Chanyeol was so stunning and handsome under him, so sensual and Baekhyun wanted at the meantime to hurry and take him immediately but also to take all his time with him, enjoying foreplay more than the main act.

Baekhyun moved his hand down to Chanyeol’s torso, to his navel and hipbones, slowly caressing them without stopping his activities on Chanyeol’s nipples, licking and biting them.

And he was so focused on it that he shivered softly when Chanyeol’s hand reached his on his hipbones, guiding it slowly down, palming Chanyeol’s own erection, hard and thick.

Baekhyun bit slightly harder on his nipple before starting to kiss down to his abs, until his belt.

“I suppose you’re fine taking them off?” he whispered, staring toward Chanyeol bit his lips shortly shaking his head.

“Only if you take off yours too” he replied lowly, voice almost a purr and Baekhyun chuckled, unbuckling Chanyeol’s belt and starting to pull at Chanyeol’s jeans, together with his boxer.

And when Chanyeol tried to complain, Baekhyun sat up taking off his own too.

Every Chanyeol’s word died on his lips, stare moving to Baekhyun whole being and Baekhyun smiled briefly at him.

“Like what you see?” he asked and Chanyeol nodded shortly, stare not leaving Baekhyun’s body.

Baekhyun leant in again, this time fingers directly teasing Chanyeol’s erection that twitched under his fingers.

“How do you prefer _things_?” Baekhyun asked him, stroking him with slightly more intent and looking at precum beads forming on the tips of Chanyeol’s erection, earning himself another low moan.

“I don’t think you are up to…” he started replying but Baekhyun moved again, slowly licking away those beads, making Chanyeol shut up immediately, closing his eyes, focusing not to thrust toward Baekhyun’s mouth.

“Usually I’m not the receiving end, no” Baekhyun whispered, licking slowly the whole length instead of only the tip and Chanyeol groaned again, fingers gripping harder the comforter under them.

“I don’t have much experience in that field, though…” Chanyeol breathed making Baekhyun chuckle.

Same sentence he usually said when they were speaking about new tactics for on-field missions.

“May I take the lead then?” he asked back and when Chanyeol briefly nodded, Baekhyun took Chanyeol’s whole erection in his mouth, starting to suck it slowly.

Chanyeol’s fingers carded immediately in Baekhyun’s hair, slightly gripping and Baekhyun hummed briefly.

He set a quicker pace, fingers moving to caress his balls and adding a bit of saliva more, making all wetter and feeling Chanyeol’s becoming even thicker in his mouth.

“Baek” he called him, a low whisper, starting to thrust toward Baekhyun who let him be, following his pace, making it even quicker and steadier.

Baekhyun liked the sensation of Chanyeol’s thickness in his mouth and the taste of precum on his tongue.

Letting alone how erotically pleasing was Chanyeol in that moment.

He was almost glistering under the warm light of the bedroom, making him looking even more stunning and sexier.

Baekhyun felt his erection twitch too and the impulse to stroke it even a bit was _oh so_ great.

“Baek, slow down… or I’ll come” Chanyeol whispered gripping again in Baekhyun’s hair this time a little bit softer but Baekhyun instead of slowing down, he quickened up, hand stroking the base of Chanyeol’s erection, helping him reaching a faster pace.

And Chanyeol came suddenly in Baekhyun’s mouth, pulling slightly at Baekhyun’s hair, breath coming shorter and with Baekhyun’s name on his lips.

Baekhyun swallowed every drop of his cum, licking him clean before pulling away and cleaning his mouth with the back of his hand.

“Turn around” Baekhyun almost ordered him and Chanyeol nodded shortly, rolling on the side, showing Baekhyun his back and Baekhyun leant in, starting to kiss down Chanyeol’s back, unhurriedly until his buttocks.

Baekhyun bit him softly, earning a surprised gasp and making him chuckle.

“You okay? Need more time to recover or…?” he asked him and Chanyeol shook his head.

“It was the best blowjob of all my life” he whispered back making Baekhyun snort, shaking his head too.

“Oh, let me teach you something more then?” he continued gently slapping his ass and Chanyeol chuckled, slowly turning his head toward him.

“It will take you a while before I can come again…” he started saying but Baekhyun let out a short laugh.

“Sure. Give me five minutes” he replied and when Chanyeol frowned wanting to reply, Baekhyun pressed a finger on his own lips.

“On your four” he ordered again, making Chanyeol frown deeper.

_“Please_ ” he added and Chanyeol snorted shaking his head but moving and letting Baekhyun try to prove his point.

“You won’t manage anything in five minutes” he declared shaking his head and Baekhyun chuckled again, softly.

“Start counting, if you manage” he whispered back before leaning in and bite again Chanyeol’s buttock.

Chanyeol gasped again in surprise and then Baekhyun licked gently his entrance, flatly, without inserting his tongue, making Chanyeol shiver.

He repeated the motion, adding some more saliva and starting to shortly force his tongue in, earning himself a groan from Chanyeol.

Baekhyun spread Chanyeol’s buttocks a bit wider, getting better access to his entrance, licking it again and starting to set a pace to his small thrusts inside Chanyeol.

After the first three or four insertions, Chanyeol started already to press back, adjusting to the friction and looking for Baekhyun’s tongue.

Chanyeol was taking it better than expected.

Baekhyun spit a bit more of saliva that dripped down Chanyeol’s buttocks and along the profile of his thighs. Baekhyun thrusted slightly deeper in, making Chanyeol arching his back more than before.

“Stop teasing me” he whispered and Baekhyun smirked shortly, adding more saliva before exchanging his tongue with his fingers.

He circled Chanyeol’s entrance with the first finger, slowly, nearing the insertion but never actually pushing it in.

Obviously, Chanyeol groaned again, biting his lips, moving trying to convince Baekhyun to finally give it to him.

And Baekhyun slowly thrusted the first finger inside, as slow as he could, feeling Chanyeol clench at it, moaning at the insertion.

He was so hot and so wet and…

Baekhyun bit his lips too trying to focus on Chanyeol’s pleasure in that moment and not what it would be to finally thrust hard and fully erected inside him.

“How is it?” Baekhyun asked him and Chanyeol clicked his tongue.

“Aren’t you taking your time there?” he replied and Baekhyun chuckled again, inserting suddenly another finger, stretching Chanyeol a bit and earning another groan and this time Chanyeol moved toward the insertion, taking them whole, arching his back and adjusting at the friction.

Baekhyun was pleasantly surprise.

Chanyeol was taking especially well for being someone who wasn’t used on taking it.

But maybe, after all…

“Do you finger yourself sometimes, Yeol?” Baekhyun asked him, inserting another finger and starting a faster pace, earning a low groan and Chanyeol’s movement started again to meet his fingers.

“I d-do, yeah. Why?” he asked him and Baekhyun wanted to laugh because it was so perfect and he was loving that moment _way too much_.

“Oh, so it’s fine if we quicken the pace a bit?” he asked him again, fingers thrusting quicker inside Chanyeol and finally hitting his soft spot, making him arch his back again, gripping harder on the comforter and clenching on Baekhyun’s fingers.

“Damn…” he whispered and Baekhyun’s other hand moved to slight touch Chanyeol’s erection that was again erected and spilling precum.

“Five minutes are not even over” Baekhyun whispered, stroking it slowly and Chanyeol moaned lowly, undecided if thrusting in Baekhyun’s hand or taking better Baekhyun’s fingers inside him.

“Baek… Baekhyun, stop teasing me and finally fuck me” he almost pleaded, voice low and aroused and Baekhyun wasn’t waiting for anything else.

“Do you have condom somewhere?” Baekhyun asked him, slowing down his fingers’ pace inside Chanyeol but not pulling them out.

And Chanyeol didn’t reply immediately, groaning, trying to focus and finding the words.

“Who cares…” he started saying but Baekhyun stopped immediately.

“I do… Come on, think harder” he commented and Chanyeol groaned again hand moving to gesture the nightstand near Baekhyun.

“S-Second drawer” he muttered and Baekhyun stretched to open it and retrieve it without stopping his motion.

He teared the foil package with his teeth, taking out the condom and rolling it up on his erection, tucking it briefly, still fingering Chanyeol.

And it was years since last time he felt so hard, so aroused and with so much lust.

Chanyeol really had weird effects on him.

He was the addicting one, not Baekhyun.

“May I put it in?” he asked Chanyeol that nodded shortly, hands gripping again harder on the comforter.

“ _Please_ ” he whispered back and Baekhyun slowed down completely with his fingers pulling them out but substituting them immediately with his erection.

He thrusted inside Chanyeol in a single movement, biting his lips because _how hot and tight was Chanyeol_?

Baekhyun let out a low groan, appreciating the pressure and the warmth on his own erection, hands caressing Chanyeol’s sides, slowly almost gently.

“Are you… okay?” he asked Chanyeol that nodded briefly, gulping down.

And before Baekhyun could enquire any further, Chanyeol nodded shortly.

“What are you waiting for?” he asked him and Baekhyun’s hands moved on Chanyeol’s back, softly caressing it, getting to Chanyeol’s hair.

He carded his fingers through Chanyeol’s hair, caressing gently before leaning in and whisper to his ear.

“Can I move?” he asked him in a whisper and Chanyeol nodded briefly, giving Baekhyun is okay and Baekhyun didn’t wait anymore.

Both hands went back again to Chanyeol’s sides, gripping slightly harder and started to thrust inside Chanyeol, slowly in and even slower out, enjoying the sensation on his erection, teasing him and feeling him clenching around him.

“Can you please stop teasing me, Baek?” he whispered, voice barely audible between the groans and the moans.

Baekhyun hummed briefly, caressing Chanyeol’s back.

“Tell me what you want” he replied and Chanyeol chuckled briefly, hiding another groan.

“I want you to fuck me. Harder and to mess me up, because you are the only one who have this effect on me” he replied and Baekhyun got thicker inside Chanyeol almost instantly.

“At your commands” he concluded, starting to thrust quicker inside Chanyeol and feeling himself at the limit too.

Chanyeol was so perfect and he was taking him so well.

And his voice moaning and groaning was so low and echoed pleasantly deep inside Baekhyun and… and Baekhyun simply thrusted quicker and deeper inside Chanyeol, increasing the pace more and more.

Chanyeol clenched harder on him, arching his back and letting him hit better his prostate, voice getting louder and pushing his head back, taking every single inch of Baekhyun inside himself.

“Chanyeol” Baekhyun moaned lowly, hands gripping harder on his sides, thrusting even more and even before he could ask himself if it was the case of stroking Chanyeol’s erection because he was feeling his own release approaching way too fast, he felt Chanyeol moaning deeper, coming panting in a small pray of _please_ s and _Baekhyun_ s.

And Baekhyun came too, biting Chanyeol on his shoulders, coming hard inside him, moaning Chanyeol’s name and feeling totally drenched of all his energies.

He panted briefly, trying to regain his breath, fingers caressing softly Chanyeol’s sweaty back.

“You feel… fine?” Baekhyun whispered trying to steady his breath and Chanyeol let out a breathless chuckle.

“Fine? I’ve never had sex as great as this” he muttered back and Baekhyun huffed a brief laugh.

There was a short moment of silence and then Chanyeol asked him the same thing.

“It was the best, Yeol. Even if I definitely need a shower…” he replied shortly and Chanyeol nodded decided.

“Me too” he breathed and Baekhyun hummed softly, pulling out of him slowly, trying not to hurt him.

Chanyeol hissed briefly but he seemed to be fine.

“Come with me?” Baekhyun asked him, extending his hand toward Chanyeol who nodded shortly, taking it and following him in the bathroom.

Whatever just happened in that moment, it was a bliss, and Baekhyun didn’t care about anything else.

For the first time in ages, he was simply focusing on Chanyeol.

And it was the best sensation in years.

After the first time _that_ happened, Baekhyun and Chanyeol had sex in every possible moment, not only when they went to Chanyeol’s small house.

As per Chanyeol’s words regarding Baekhyun being _addicting_ , they almost lived together, spending every instant with each other, both during practice and during free time.

Not that Baekhyun could complain.

He enjoyed every second, moment he spent with Chanyeol and he came to think that it was so _normal_ for them to be together that he didn’t exactly know what to do those rare times when he was alone.

“We almost never see you around” Jondae whined while Baekhyun was dressing up after shower and Baekhyun chuckled softly.

“Come on, it’s… for the sake of this big mission incoming” he replied, shrugging his shoulders but from the shower near his, Minseok exited, shaking his head.

“Are you sure is only that?” he asked him briefly, stare inquiring and Baekhyun’s stare was immediately on him.

“Yeah” he simply replied but he knew he was lying.

Because he wasn’t near Chanyeol just for the sake of the mission.

Or simply because Junmyeon ordered him to trust Chanyeol.

Baekhyun _wanted_ that relationship with Chanyeol.

Whatever it may be.

And whatever it may mean.

However, he didn’t want to mess it up with anything, including letting it know to any other of EXO members.

Because Baekhyun didn’t have any explanations for it.

And it would be a mess and a problem if some of the members would ever ask him to define or describe his relationship with Chanyeol.

So he simply avoided talking, and _thinking_ , about it simply living through what was happening.

Their important mission started as per Junmyeon’s orders in less than a week.

It was an undercover mission, no more than few days off in an extra luxury hotel to protect the life of an important Russian diplomatic.

Baekhyun and Chanyeol had the stricter surveillance on him, having care of the man literally twenty-four-seven.

And everything went smoothly for the first few days, nothing strange everything following the right path, but then Baekhyun started to realize that there were anomalies in the housekeeping shifts and that the technicians were always the same.

Too strange and it wasn’t a simple _case_.

All the personnel on their floor was always the same.

“Yeol” he whispered while he was standing near the door, outside too much silence for being midday.

Chanyeol’s stare moved toward him and realized immediately that something was off.

Both extracted their guns and loaded them.

“Take him in the bedroom and _don’t exit for anything in the world_ ” Baekhyun whispered softly and Chanyeol nodded forcing the man in the bedroom and closing the door behind him.

“Myeon, can you hear me?” Baekhyun asked in the small in-earphone.

“Crystal clear” he replied immediately, tone worried, and Baekhyun hummed briefly.

“I think that our floor is full of armed people ready to enter here in whichever moment” he whispered and Junmyeon was about to tell him that wasn’t possible but Baekhyun started speaking again.

“I’m not asking for a confirmation. I need the guys downstairs to intervene now, and Jongin… _Kai_ here as soon as possible” he stated and even before Junmyeon could give him a proper reply, they started shooting from outside.

Baekhyun hid behind the couch waiting for the reloading time and then pulled out his other gun from his back.

His Beretta wouldn’t be sufficient alone.

If he made the right counts, there were at least six people outside.

If he was wrong, at least ten.

However, Baekhyun was pretty positive on the six.

“Myeon, hope Kai is on his way” he whispered in the earphone before standing up and moving to kick the door open.

He exited shooting.

He knew where three of them were simply judging from the holes in the door.

And he shot them immediately out of the room, facing them exactly out of the door, startled by Baekhyun’s arrival.

Another one was at his left and Baekhyun shot him too quickly, stare already moving to look for the others.

They couldn’t be only four.

One exited from behind the door of the service elevator and Baekhyun shot even before realizing that something was moving.

He was distracted by a noise coming from the stairs and he saw the movement only later, risking that the last of them shoot him on the thigh.

“I think you mistook person” Baekhyun whispered back, tackling in and immobilizing him and snapping his neck.

And even before he could turn around, there was another shot, that wasn’t his but neither toward him.

It came from inside the bedroom, precise and definite.

“Yeol…!” he exclaimed immediately, running to the bedroom and finding Chanyeol shooting to a man, that immediately reached another on the floor.

“You okay?” Baekhyun asked him, slightly worried, but knowing that Chanyeol was more than capable of taking care of himself and Chanyeol nodded briefly.

“They came from the roof” he answered shortly gesturing with his head toward the windows and Baekhyun hummed softly, stare moving toward their diplomatic friend.

“And you sir? Everything is fine?” he asked him who nodded, clearly afraid of what was happening.

There was a small noise and both of them pointed their guns toward the entry, but Baekhyun chuckled hearing the footsteps.

“It’s only Kai” he whispered toward Chanyeol who nodded and in that moment Jongin entered the room.

“You already did everything” he complained, shrugging his shoulders, a bit disappointed and Baekhyun chuckled softly again.

“They were less than expected, yes” he whispered, slightly touching his in-earphone.

“Myeon, here is clear. How about downstairs?” he asked checking the situation with Jondae and Minseok and Junmyeon chuckled.

“Xiumin and Chen did a great work here. As per usual” he replied and Baekhyun snorted, sure that they did.

The eventuality they wouldn’t do their work properly was so remote to be almost an impossibility.

“I think our work is done here?” he commented and, after safely escorting their diplomatic to the airport and seeing him off on his private plane, everything was definitely done.

All EXO members were relieved about it.

“It was easy after all” Jondae commented but Jongin shook his head.

“It was because we were ready to whatever. Otherwise we would have died even before the start” he replied, tone serious but Baekhyun agreed with Jondae.

It was strangely too easy.

Too easy to move all six of them.

Too quick to not simply use only SKY team.

Too strange not to send Baekhyun alone.

And Baekhyun learnt that when he had too many questions, there was always something behind.

However, he didn’t have time to ask them to Junmyeon.

Precise as a swiss clock, Choi presented himself the day after.

Baekhyun was still half-asleep when his phone rang, at seven-thirty in the morning.

“Your… escort is here” Junmyeon stated briefly when he picked up the call and Baekhyun never was more awake that quickly.

“Already?” he replied, perplexed and Junmyeon simply asked him to move.

Baekhyun inhaled deeply, wearing his old formal army uniform and passing in the kitchen before going toward the hall.

He had some worries about how that mission went and another whole set about his mission in Nepal.

However, he tried his best not to show it to the others.

They were all there, including Chanyeol.

Jondae whistled seeing him enter but Chanyeol’s stare was worried on him.

“I have to go. Two weeks and I’ll be back” he stated shortly and it was a general statement, but his stare was on Chanyeol who nodded briefly.

“Better come back unhurt, Baek” he simply replied and Baekhyun nodded briefly.

“Be right back” he finally whispered, walking away.

And when Baekhyun saw Choi in the hall of EXO, near Junmyeon he knew why that mission was so short, so easy.

Because Choi needed him for that one and he couldn’t wait forever.

Somehow, he forced his way also on EXO’s missions.

The real question was _how_ he did it.

And how much power Choi actually had not only on army but also on other government agencies.

“Lieutenant general” Baekhyun stated, martial greeting ready and Choi replied softly with a small gesture.

“I’ll update you along the way to the airport” he replied almost not staring at him and Baekhyun nodded.

“Two weeks and I will send him back” Choi reminded to Junmyeon who frowned.

“You have to. It’s only a loan. Baek is needed here” he retorted making Choi huff a short laugh.

“I’ll give _Baek_ back soon” he concluded walking away and before Baekhyun could follow him, Junmyeon called him.

“Baekhyun, whatever you may need, whatever it may happen, call me” he whispered, patting his shoulder and Baekhyun nodded briefly, thanking him.

But his words were empty.

Baekhyun would be alone.

From that very same moment until he would be back.

He would never think about it but, not having EXO members with him, both CBX’s or SKY’s, would make him lonely.

Especially thinking about two whole weeks without hearing or seeing Chanyeol.

But lonely didn’t mean less prepared or less strong.

And he would have survived that too.

Nepal was… humid.

More humid than Baekhyun actually remembered it.

The mission was mainly consisting in taking off some important military and political personalities that was aiming to change Nepal’s _status quo_ , probably having war affairs with Russia.

Baekhyun knew the situation in Nepal and knew the forests over there and how the guerrilla thought and acted, based on the same tactics from hundred years ago.

And every day he was there, he was way too sure that someone was trying to kill him.

He couldn’t trust anyone but had to build some kind of relationship at least with few of them to teach them about tactics and how to move around in the forest.

Still, he didn’t exactly know _who_ but he knew perfectly that they were aiming at his life.

Small happenings both in his life at the base camp and both on the battlefield.

It was unpleasant but nothing that Baekhyun hadn’t already lived through.

Baekhyun kind of get everything perfectly and in the best way ever possible.

Not letting this _happening_ get him killed and neither hurt.

Until the last day.

And in the most idiotic way ever.

They were attacking him, five or maybe four.

And Baekhyun was doing good in fending for his life, taking them in custody more than actually kill them to try and earn some information on them.

After bringing them back he was enjoying a bit of finally free time, walking and smoking outside the tents when his phone vibrated in his pocket.

It was his Korean phone, so it was strange to receive a message at that hour but Baekhyun took it, seeing that the message came from Jondae in their shared CBX chat.

It was an attachment and Baekhyun frowned shortly before tapping it.

Usually Jondae only send him small messages asking him how he was and how much they missed him, so attachments weren’t something _normal_.

The caption said _steamy time with EXO members_ but Baekhyun read it only way after because his stare was focused on the photo that Jondae sent him.

It was clearly Chanyeol’s back, so wide and so toned and… Baekhyun never thought he could miss physically someone _that fucking much_.

And his thoughts went at every single time Baekhyun had the pleasure to have Chanyeol for himself, caressing and biting that back and…

And it was an instant, he thought he was still walking on the plain soil but instead he missed the step, rolling down the hill like a kid on the slope.

However, weirdest thing was that, falling, he strangely weighted on his hand, spraining his own wrist.

“Oh for fuck sake” he swore, gripping it with his other hand and inhaling deeply.

_Never_.

It _never_ happened before.

And not for a reason that stupid.

Baekhyun sighed deeply, shortly typing a brief message before walking back toward infirmary.

_Baek_ wrote:

[09:52PM] What the hell?

His message got read that very same moment, even before he could reach infirmary.

_TheGreat_ wrote:

[09:53PM] Never thought he had such a nice physique. Now I know why you’re spending that much time with him…

And Baekhyun sighed before pocketing his phone again, entering the tent were the doctor was still filling in papers for that day.

“Hey, doc. I think I sprained my wrist?” he stated entering and the man who a Chinese man with deep dimples on his cheeks, shook his head perplexed.

“And you realize it now?” he asked him and Baekhyun chuckled briefly shrugging his shoulders.

“Can you do something about it?” he whispered and the doctor nodded briefly, gesturing Baekhyun to sit down.

He prepared for him a tight bandage and remembered him to have it check once he would be home the day after.

Baekhyun didn’t sleep that night.

He wondered how it would be to go back to EXO.

How he was supposed to be feeling about it.

How he _actually_ felt about it.

And how the others would react about him being with them again.

Two weeks weren’t too much after all, but still felt like ages.

And he missed all of them _oh so much_.

The day after, Choi came personally to escort him back to EXO.

“I’m glad you accepted to cooperate with us this time too” Choi stated while they were flying back to Korea on a military plane and Baekhyun snorted shaking his head.

“I don’t remember having the choice” he replied briefly and Choi shrugged his shoulders.

“The important matter is getting things done. _With any way necessary_ ” he concluded without staring toward Baekhyun and he nodded shortly without adding anything too.

He had so many questions on everything.

But he knew that Choi would never answer them.

“What happened to your wrist?” Choi asked him and Baekhyun chuckled shaking his head.

“War injury? Nepal can be full of dangers” he replied briefly, sure that Choi would never investigate that much into it.

Instead, Junmyeon was super worried when finally Choi brought him back to EXO, Baekhyun being unable to drive alone until there.

“Baek!” he stated, nearing him immediately on EXO’s main hall, stare worried and moving between Baekhyun and Choi.

“Myeon, I’m back” he whispered smiling briefly and before Junmyeon could ask more about it, Baekhyun added: “no worries about this. Just an idiocy”.

“Lieutenant General, it was a pleasure. Hope that the mission in Nepal will be a success” Baekhyun stated turning toward Choi who nodded briefly.

“Sure thanks to your intervention. I’ll keep you updated on the whole matter. Once again, thanks for your cooperation” he concluded, hinting a martial greeting that Baekhyun copied the gesture seeing him off.

When they remained alone, Junmyeon stare was once again worried on Baekhyun who smiled briefly.

“Myeon, this is nothing, really. Stop worrying and update me on what happened while I was away” he stated and even before Junmyeon could object or start talking, from the corridor walked out Jondae, clearly going toward the fitness area.

“Baek!” he exclaimed running toward him and Baekhyun smiled at him softly.

“I’m back” he whispered and Jondae hugged him, before distancing him immediately, scrunching his nose.

“You stink like…” he started saying before seeing the bandage on his wrist.

“Oh shit, Baek, what happened to you? Are you okay? Can I…” he was saying but Baekhyun stopped him with his sane hand.

“I’m fine, nothing happened. You don’t need to worry” he started replying but in that moment also Minseok and Chanyeol appeared from the corridor, probably looking for Jondae.

“Obviously is not _nothing_!” Jondae stated worried but Baekhyun’s stare moved to Chanyeol.

He was worried too, probably spotting the bandage before Jondae.

Both him and Minseok neared him.

“Are you okay?” Minseok asked Baekhyun who nodded briefly, showing them his best smile.

“Yeah, I’m hard to kill, no worries” he stated back, but Chanyeol raised his eyebrow, clearly worried and not approving his reply.

“I remember telling you _unhurt_ ” he whispered and his voice was deep and low as Baekhyun remembered it and, _heavens_ if he missed it.

He wanted to kiss him senseless, telling him that it was nothing and having time for them alone, but instead he simply forced a smirk.

“This is not hurt” he replied, shaking his head but Chanyeol shook his head, shifting his stare away, clearly worried.

And Baekhyun wanted to reassure him, to tell him that it really was nothing, Chanyeol clicked his tongue and walked away, leaving all of them perplexed.

Especially Baekhyun that didn’t know how to process that reaction.

Did he miss something?

Did he mistake something?

Or simply _things_ changed between them due to that separation?

“Glad to have you back” Junmyeon stated attracting his attention and forcing his thoughts on other things.

“I’m glad to be back” he replied softly, and he realize how sincere that words were.

Junmyeon briefed him quickly on things happened while he was away.

Nothing too much, mainly small mission for SKY team and a new system of simulation in the fitness room.

Two weeks weren’t so much and nothing special happened.

After Junmyeon’s briefing, Baekhyun went to his shared room with Jondae and Minseok but both were outside, granting him some time to pull away his clothes and have finally a shower.

It took a bit showering without getting his wrist wet but he somehow managed and, once he was done and changed, he decided to go to the laundry room.

Junmyeon gave him the whole day off and some more days of simple observation, due to his conditions, but Baekhyun was already planning how to convince him to let him train nevertheless.

He was in the laundry room, humming an old song while his clothes were in the washing machine, thinking about Chanyeol’s reactions from before.

He was worried about them.

What were they supposed to mean?

Did Baekhyun mistake something?

And it was too late when he heard a sound behind him, making him extract his gun and pointing toward the entrance, before realizing that they were Chanyeol’s footsteps and Baekhyun was again in EXO and not in Nepal.

“I’m glad to see you too” Chanyeol whispered from the entrance, stare clearly worried, and Baekhyun sighed shortly, putting away the gun.

“Sorry, I was thinking” he replied and Chanyeol neared him wary.

“Oh, hearing a _sorry_ from you? I almost can’t believe it…” he joked but his stare was fixed on Baekhyun, and if there was a smile on his lips, his stare was inquiring.

Baekhyun shrugged his shoulders, moving his stare to the washing machine that beeped reclaiming his attention, program over.

He made gesture to near the machine, but Chanyeol took his sane hand, pulling him toward himself.

“Missed you” Chanyeol whispered leaning in, lips barely brushing on Baekhyun’s ear and making Baekhyun hide a shiver long his back.

It was so velvety and so low that Baekhyun was tempted to push Chanyeol against one of those washing machines and take him there where they were.

“I missed you too” he replied softly, hand moving to caress Chanyeol’s silky hair and pulling briefly down for what supposed to be a quick kiss.

But Chanyeol pressed back, biting Baekhyun’s bottom lip, forcing his way in and Baekhyun didn’t know how much he missed all of that until that very instant.

Chanyeol’s mouth was warm and wet and Baekhyun missed _that_ _oh so much_.

“Will you ever tell me what happened to your wrist?” Chanyeol whispered in the kiss, making Baekhyun chuckle and shaking his head.

“This is your way to make me talk?” he asked unwillingly detaching from Chanyeol who snorted, shaking his head and observing Baekhyun moving his clothes from the washing machine to the drying machine.

“No, obviously. For making you talk, I’m inviting you tonight out, if you are up to it” he replied and Baekhyun frowned, turning around just to briefly peek at Chanyeol.

“Your place?” he whispered softly and Chanyeol nodded once, clear, stare not leaving Baekhyun’s.

“I’m more than up to it, then” he replied, pushing all the clothes in and setting the new drying program.

“It would be too risky here” Chanyeol whispered, nearing again Baekhyun who let Chanyeol hug him from behind, snuggling his nose in Baekhyun’s hair.

“You have something in your mind?” he asked back and Chanyeol nodded briefly, slightly biting Baekhyun’s neck, making him hide a groan.

“Let’s go there tonight, then” he concluded before turning around and pulling him down again for a kiss.

After spending a bit of their time with the others, Chanyeol drove them until Chanyeol’s small hut.

“I could have driven us there…” Baekhyun started saying when they sat in the car, Chanyeol literally forcing him on the passenger seat.

“No, you can’t. Now stop fussing and sit down. I’ll drive us there. Want to stop somewhere to buy something?” he asked and Baekhyun shrugged his shoulders, finally sitting in.

“I don’t know. Do we need something?” he asked back and Chanyeol hummed, sitting on the driver seat of his car, pulling at his safety belt.

“Condoms? I never bought them after last time. And I think there was just one?” he replied trying to remember something and Baekhyun chuckled softly.

“If you didn’t buy them while I was away, we finished them last time” he observed and Chanyeol shook his head shortly.

“I didn’t go there while you weren’t here. And I don’t go there with anybody else, if it wasn’t clear enough” he added, stare not moving from the street, but he was clearly worried by something.

Baekhyun smiled softly, hand moving to caress Chanyeol’s on the gearshift.

“Glad to hear it” he whispered softly and Chanyeol smiled briefly too.

They stopped by a mini-mart to buy some things, including something to eat for that evening and then they went directly there.

It was exactly like they left it slightly more than two weeks before.

“Uh, it’s cold here” Baekhyun whispered, putting the bags on the floor and moving toward the fireplace, starting it up.

“Need a help?” Chanyeol asked him but Baekhyun already managed also with only one hand.

He didn’t have particular aches on the hand, but surely his mobility was limited.

And standing to the doctor he should have kept it immobile, something that Baekhyun wasn’t able to be.

“Do you want to…” Baekhyun started asking Chanyeol, standing up from where he was, wanting to ask him if he was up to eat something before whatever else, but Chanyeol was already near him.

“Whatever can wait” he whispered, hands moving on Baekhyun’s sides, completely erasing the distance between them.

“Let me have you then” Baekhyun muttered back, caressing Chanyeol’s cheek and pulling him down for a kiss that remained super short because Chanyeol took his hand and guided him until the bedroom.

“We have to find a solution to _that_ ” he started saying gesturing to Baekhyun’s bandaged hand and Baekhyun was already shaking his head, telling him that they didn’t need to, but Chanyeol started undressing and every word died on Baekhyun’s lips.

“Strip” Chanyeol almost ordered him and Baekhyun slowly started to compile, moving his hand on his back and pulling at his t-shirt, taking it off.

“What do you…?” he started asking, throwing the t-shirt on the chair and then unbuckling his belt and slowly taking off his jeans too.

Chanyeol shook his head before gesturing toward Baekhyun’s boxer and whispering a short: “those too”.

Baekhyun frowned shortly, perplexed but he compiled too, question already forming on his lips.

“Chanyeol, what…” he tried again but Chanyeol pushed him softly, making him sit down on the bed and even before Baekhyun could try asking again, he kneeled down in front of him, making his intentions more than clear.

“I am sure you did more than good over there…” Chanyeol started saying, fingers gingerly caressing Baekhyun’s erection that twitched under the gentle ministrations.

“And I’m sure that nor Choi nor Myeon congratulated adequately with you…” he continued briefly stroking it and earning himself a groan from Baekhyun that bit his lips.

Chanyeol’s fingers were so pleasant around his erection and he closed his eyes, appreciating the touch.

“So you want to… reward me for my hard work?” Baekhyun whispered making Chanyeol chuckle, shaking his head.

“The only thing hard here is you…” he commented earning a huffed laugh from Baekhyun.

“Like you don’t know the effects you have on me” he added softly biting again his lips when Chanyeol stroked him with a little more intent.

“Never told it” he concluded, shrugging his shoulders and leaning in, licking Baekhyun’s erection, stare not leaving Baekhyun’s.

Baekhyun groaned again, caressing Chanyeol’s hair, shortly.

“I got that you don’t especially like doing _this_ ” he whispered, trying not to give how much he liked what Chanyeol was doing.

Chanyeol licked him again, tongue playing with his tip and picking up the first precum beads that were forming on it.

“But you were so good out there, and you are injured” he replied softly and even before Baekhyun could reply in any way, Chanyeol leant better in, taking all Baekhyun’s erection in his mouth and sucked shortly.

Baekhyun groaned, not prepared to the hot and wet sensation around his shaft.

“Chanyeol…” he moaned, fingers carding through Chanyeol’s hair and Chanyeol hummed softly, tongue starting to play around his tip, starting a pace to his movements.

Baekhyun inhaled deeply, gripping slightly harder on Chanyeol’s hair, letting Chanyeol set the tempo.

He wanted to simply enjoy it, since it was such a rare event.

Baekhyun didn’t mind giving blowjob to Chanyeol, but it wasn’t the same on the contrary.

Chanyeol rarely started it himself, and Baekhyun never openly asked him for one.

“You are so hot” Baekhyun praised him, enjoying the sensation around him.

Chanyeol hummed again, hands caressing Baekhyun’s thighs and setting a faster pace, making Baekhyun groan again, slightly pushing in, looking for more friction and more warmth.

And strangely enough, Chanyeol let him do it, quickening the pace and letting Baekhyun thrust freely in his mouth.

“Ah, Yeol, slow down, down…” Baekhyun whispered but Chanyeol pretended not to hear him, continuing with the same pace and Baekhyun pulled harder at Chanyeol’s hair, feeling his release nearing alarmingly fast.

“At least pull out” Baekhyun moaned, feeling almost there, and trying to delay as much as possible that moment but Chanyeol simply hummed again, gripping harder on his thighs and not slowing down at all.

Baekhyun moaned again, pulling slightly harder and coming in Chanyeol’s mouth, whispering his name and it felt like years since last time he came that quickly and that good.

Chanyeol swallowed every single drop, licking him clean, making Baekhyun groan for oversensitivity and then pulled out, small smirk appearing on his lips.

“You shouldn’t have…” Baekhyun whispered, pulling Chanyeol toward him and kissing him slowly, almost sweetly and tasting himself on Chanyeol’s lips.

“Why?” Chanyeol asked him between the kisses and Baekhyun snorted shaking his head and staring at Chanyeol’s eyes.

Chanyeol was so handsome and alluring between his legs, lips red and wet, hair messy cause Baekhyun’s pulls and Baekhyun for a moment didn’t have words.

Because he was too much.

And he missed Chanyeol _oh so much_.

“Because you could have pulled out at the end…” Baekhyun started saying but Chanyeol chuckled before placing a small kiss on his lips and raising up just to sit better on Baekhyun’s laps.

Baekhyun frowned perplexed but Chanyeol smiled at him softly.

“You deserve it, Baekhyun. And I don’t mind it so much, it’s just a bit too spicy?” he observed, fingers moving to caress Baekhyun’s neck and Baekhyun closed his eyes, appreciating the sensation of Chanyeol’s warm fingers on him.

“Spicy?” Baekhyun echoed and Chanyeol nodded briefly, kissing his lips, quickly.

“Yeah and… since your hand is…” he started saying but Baekhyun frowned, shaking his head and staring at him, scolding.

“I’m not _this_ injured, Chanyeol. I can move it and I want to…” he interjected but Chanyeol kissed him again, shutting him up.

Baekhyun hummed in the kiss, feeling it more getting wetter and maybe also sloppier.

“And you won’t. You will sit down and let me do everything for this time” Chanyeol whispered, few inches apart from Baekhyun’s lips, staring back at him and Baekhyun wanted to interject.

Because he missed Chanyeol and wanted to touch him so much, hold him again, taking him like he didn’t do in what seemed to be years more than few weeks.

However, there was something in Chanyeol’s stare and his eyes was full blown and with a want that Baekhyun probably never saw in Chanyeol before.

So he simply nodded, briefly, a small hint more than a real gesture and Chanyeol opened in the best soft smile Baekhyun ever saw on his lips.

“So compliant…” Chanyeol whispered, moving his lips on Baekhyun’s neck and softly biting him, making Baekhyun groan.

“You prefer if I put up a fight? You seem to be willing to take the lead and I don’t mind for this time. I like the idea of being spoiled by you once in a while…” Baekhyun explained, voice no more than a whisper, fingers carding in Chanyeol’s hair and pulling him even near.

Chanyeol groaned, slightly arching his back, brushing his erection with Baekhyun’s that started to be hard again.

“Spoiled? I’ll make you beg for it, Baekhyun. Don’t think I’ll go easy with you just because you are injured” he replied shortly, making Baekhyun chuckle, shaking his head.

“I’ve never begged, you know. And even injured, you will be the one asking for more, no worries” he retorted before pulling slightly at Chanyeol’s hair again, exposing his neck and biting him there, sucking a purple-blooming hickey.

Chanyeol groaned again, hands moving on Baekhyun’s sides, caressing him softly.

“Sure, we will see…” he added but his sentence was cut off by Baekhyun’s fingers that padded not so gently on his nipples, making Chanyeol moan, arching his back, meeting better his touch.

“You are so stunning here on my laps. Do you think I wouldn’t touch you? You are so appealing and I want to feel your everything” Baekhyun whispered, lips moving again on Chanyeol’s neck and collarbones, licking and nibbling them, fingers continuing their work on Chanyeol’s nipples, pinching and pulling them.

Chanyeol muffled another groan before pushing him down, laying on the bed and pining him there.

“Would you stop it and let me…?” he started asking him but Baekhyun chuckled shaking his head, pulling slightly at him, rolling them on the bed and hovering on Chanyeol.

“I will let you do what you want only if you let me touch you. I don’t want to stay there and…” he whispered to Chanyeol’s ear, slightly biting it and Chanyeol pushed him softly, distancing him from him.

“Fine. _Fine_ ” he concluded and Baekhyun smiled briefly before looking at Chanyeol, stare inquiring and waiting for something from Chanyeol.

Chanyeol sighed shortly before pushing softly Baekhyun again who simply sat on the bed, back laying on the pillows, slightly pressing at his wrist.

It hurt a bit, he should be more careful about it.

And it was a second but Chanyeol realized his pain too.

“Idiot” he whispered, taking Baekhyun’s injured wrist in his hands and softly kissing it on the bandage.

Baekhyun’s eyes went wider in perplexity.

It was… sweet.

Sweeter than any other action Chanyeol ever did toward him.

“Don’t overwork it. You should let it rest” Chanyeol whispered before shortly moving on Baekhyun’s laps, fingers carding through Baekhyun’s hair, leaning down to slowly kiss him, softly and Baekhyun felt a singular warm feeling blooming in his chest.

And it wasn’t good.

Baekhyun didn’t know why, but he was almost afraid of that feeling.

It was the first time in his life he ever felt like that toward someone.

And could it be… _love_?

Baekhyun wanted to chuckle because _he_ of all the people really was feeling something similar to love for someone?

And not a _normal_ someone, but _Chanyeol_ , the only person in the world with who he couldn’t definitely have that kind of relationship.

However, for that moment he decided not to think about it.

Because Chanyeol was too hot and too beautiful on his laps and he wanted that moment to last forever, simply having Chanyeol for him and him only.

Baekhyun slightly bit Chanyeol’s bottom lip in the kiss, making it wet again, fingers caressing Chanyeol’s sides, feeling his skin exploding in goosebumps.

“Baekhyun…” Chanyeol whispered in the kiss and Baekhyun hummed shortly, restarting again his activity on Chanyeol’s nipples, making him groan lowly.

“I missed you” Chanyeol added, lips moving softly to Baekhyun’s neck kissing him there and earning himself a short shiver from Baekhyun.

“Missed you too. Every single instant” he replied, pinching slightly harder on Chanyeol’s nipples that groaned again, arching his back, seeking for more contact.

“And you know…” Chanyeol started, unwillingly stretching toward the nightstand and pulling out the lube small bottle.

Baekhyun’s stare moved toward him, interested in what Chanyeol was about to say.

“I thought a lot about you” he continued, opening the cap of the bottle and pouring an abundant amount on his fingers, smearing it between them.

“Oh? Really?” Baekhyun asked him softly, starting to caress again his sides and Chanyeol nodded briefly.

“Especially at night, when I was alone…” Chanyeol murmured fingers reaching his own entrance and Baekhyun’s stare went immediately on them, slowly gulping down.

“And…” Baekhyun started, voice scratching in his throat and clearing it before speaking up again.

“And what did you think about?” he asked him, earning a lustful stare and a small smile from Chanyeol.

“What?” he echoed inserting a finger inside him, groaning at the friction, but apparently without too much effort.

Baekhyun really wondered how much Chanyeol fingered himself while he was away.

And the only idea pleased him more than he cared to admit.

The visual of Chanyeol enjoying himself alone, thinking about Baekhyun, was… alluring.

“About how much your fingers fill me up?” Chanyeol continued and Baekhyun groaned shortly, feeling his erection twitch at the idea.

“You like my fingers this much?” Baekhyun asked him and Chanyeol nodded briefly, adding two more fingers inside himself, arching his back and welcoming them wholly in a single thrust.

Baekhyun bit his lips at the sight that was arousing and erotic in a whole new meaning of the word.

He never saw something that enthralling.

“And not only your fingers… I like how you fill me up, fully, opening me up” Chanyeol continued saying, starting a pace at his ministrations inside himself, and Baekhyun couldn’t simply watch it anymore.

His fingers moved alone on Chanyeol’s nipples, pinching them while his lips closed around his collarbones, biting, earning a moan from Chanyeol that arched his back again, wanting that contact how much Baekhyun.

“You make me crazy” Chanyeol whispered finally meeting Baekhyun’s stare and Baekhyun knew that he wouldn’t be attracted and so deeply linked to anybody but Chanyeol.

Love or not, there was something deep running between them in that relationship and he knew that Chanyeol felt it too.

“I want to feel you, Chanyeol” Baekhyun whispered him, slightly gripping harder on his side and it was final.

Because Baekhyun needed Chanyeol on him.

Wanted to be inside him and filling him up and Chanyeol didn’t hesitate either.

He simply pulled out his fingers from himself and neared Baekhyun’s erection.

And neither of them objected when for the first time since they started whatever _that_ was, Chanyeol simply took all of Baekhyun’s erection, bottoming out, without consider putting on a condom.

It felt so… _right_ in that moment, that Baekhyun simply let himself go, groaning lowly when he felt such a hot and tight feeling around his erection, looking at Chanyeol’s beautiful self on his laps, lips slightly parted, red and wet, his nipples rose and swollen and his own shaft painfully hard and leaking precum.

“Baekhyun, _please_ ” Chanyeol whispered and Baekhyun’s hand moved again on his side, helping him start to move on his laps, setting a pace, beautifully slow.

Baekhyun could feel every single movement and how Chanyeol went down on his erection, stretching open for Baekhyun and making him feel it more and more.

“You are beautiful, Chanyeol, here on my laps” Baekhyun praised him, fingers moving again on his nipples, slightly pulling and pushing them, earning a moan from Chanyeol that started a faster pace on his laps.

Baekhyun tried to move also his other hand, the injured one, on Chanyeol’s side to help him move on him, but Chanyeol shook his head, slightly pushing it away.

“D-Don’t” Chanyeol stuttered, muffling another moan, and Baekhyun felt his fingers carding through his hair.

“I want more of you” Chanyeol added and Baekhyun nodded shortly, nearing again Chanyeol’s neck and biting him, fingers continuously teasing his nipples, making him moan harder and arch his back, giving Baekhyun access to his prostate.

And Baekhyun thrusted slightly deeper inside, hitting it and earning himself a low moan and a pull on his hair.

“Please, _more_ ” Chanyeol asked and Baekhyun nodded shortly, meeting each of Chanyeol’s movement with a thrust, quickening the pace, thrusting deeper inside Chanyeol, hand moving to stroke Chanyeol’s erection.

Chanyeol moaned, this time something more high-pitched, biting his lips, leaning in and starting to kiss Baekhyun, sloppily, wetly.

“Come for me, Chanyeol” Baekhyun whispered him between the kisses and Chanyeol groaned again, letting himself go and riding off completely his orgasm, coming on Baekhyun’s hand and torso, squeezing him even tighter inside himself.

Baekhyun moaned hard, thrusting inside Chanyeol at his own pace now, hand gripping hard on Chanyeol’s side and feeling like he wanted that moment to last forever.

He loved that squeezing feeling around him and that precum sensation and Chanyeol was a miracle on his laps, sweaty and sparkly under the bedroom lights and…

And he simply came, flash of lights passing behind his eyes, feeling like he never had an experience more pleasant than that very moment, feeling Chanyeol squeeze him even harder inside himself when he came and making him groan at the sensation.

His hand gripped harder on Chanyeol’s side, biting him on the shoulder, trying to contain his moans.

He felt sated.

So blissed out that maybe he could also fall asleep in that very same moment, because everything was too perfect.

“Baekhyun…” Chanyeol softly called him, fingers moving to caress his cheek and Baekhyun hummed in reply, stare hazily moving toward Chanyeol.

“Want to shower? I’ll cook you something later. Are you up to…?” he started saying but Baekhyun pulled him down to kiss him, slowly, sweetly.

They kissed in silence, neither of them wanting that moment to end, simply enjoying each other presence.

But then Baekhyun sighed softly, distancing himself from Chanyeol.

“Yeah, shower is a must. And, please, I’m starving and Nepalese cuisine isn’t exactly in my tastes?” he whispered softly and Chanyeol smiled at him, huffing a small chuckle.

“Let’s go then” he concluded, slowly pulling out and hissing in the process.

They both knew and felt that everything was different that time, but neither of them seemed like they wanted to talk about it.

Nor about Chanyeol’s urgency.

His sweetness.

Baekhyun’s softness.

Nor his indulgence in letting Chanyeol proceed without using a condom, thing on which he was always crystal clear about.

Everything was and _felt_ different.

They showered mostly in silence, both lost in his own thoughts, and then Chanyeol started cooking while Baekhyun sat on the couch, briefly playing Chanyeol’s guitar.

Chanyeol started teaching him how to play and he was still far from being _acceptable_ but he liked it.

Especially not now that he could do only a limited set of movements due to his injury.

“It’s done” Chanyeol called him from the kitchen and Baekhyun sat up smiling softly.

Somehow all of that became so domestic and so _right_ that he couldn’t imagine anymore his life without it.

They ate chatting about _things._

How were Nepal after that many years.

What happened in EXO while Baekhyun was away and so on.

“So… how did you sprain your wrist?” Chanyeol asked him and Baekhyun chuckled shaking his head.

“It will remain a secret until the end of my life” he replied shortly, yawning and stretching his arms over his head.

He felt super sleepy and so tired like he didn’t feel in a while.

Probably it was because he was relaxing, not being anymore under the pressure he felt in Nepal and thanks to the awesome intercourse with Chanyeol of that evening.

“You tired?” Chanyeol asked him softly and Baekhyun hummed shortly.

“A bit, yeah” he replied and Chanyeol stood up, taking Baekhyun’s hand in his.

“Let’s sit down a bit on the couch?” he proposed and Baekhyun nodded briefly, following him and sitting down.

The very same moment he sat down and leant his head on Chanyeol’s shoulder, he fell asleep.

He was woken up, an undefined time later from Chanyeol that was gently slapping him on his cheeks.

“Stand up” he ordered him and Baekhyun hummed shortly, confused, head still heavy and a strange sleepiness weight him down.

“Chanyeol, what…?” he started asking but Chanyeol shook his head, pulling out his gun and pointing it toward Baekhyun.

“Up” he repeated picking him up from an arm and Baekhyun wanted to react, to understand what was happening, but he felt too heavy and his body didn’t act like he wanted to.

Only standing up and walking toward the door, Chanyeol’s gun pointed on his back, already took away too much of his strengths.

“You drugged me?” he managed to ask toward Chanyeol who hummed, _nodding_.

Chanyeol drugged him.

And was pointing a gun to his back, asking him to move toward heavens know which direction.

Something was terribly wrong but Baekhyun felt too tired and too heavy to process all those things.

They walked outside and Chanyeol opened the door of the posterior seat of his car.

“Sit” he ordered again and Baekhyun sighed softly.

“Why?” he asked him, not moving from where he was standing, but Chanyeol pushed him inside, making him literally lay on the seats.

Chanyeol closed the door and sat on the driver seat, starting the engine.

And Baekhyun wanted to ask where they were going, what happened and more importantly _why in the world Chanyeol drugged him_ , but he simply fell asleep again on Chanyeol’s car back seats.

When he woke up again he was sitting on a metal chair, in the center on an empty room.

Both his wrists and ankles were tied to the chair and his injured wrist hurt like hell.

His head, though, felt not so heavy as before.

There were voices and he had to close his eyes and focus to understand what they were saying.

“My work is done here” Chanyeol’s voice stated and there was a chuckle, one that Baekhyun could recognize between hundreds.

It was Choi’s.

“Sure thing, Park. Thank you for your kind cooperation” he replied and Baekhyun wanted to slap himself.

Chanyeol had some kind of agreement with Choi?

Since when?

Even from before Baekhyun went to Nepal or simply since he went away?

And why Chanyeol could want an agreement with Choi?

Maybe he despised Baekhyun enough to agree to whatever Choi was up to?

And always maybe Chanyeol always feigned his interests toward Baekhyun and neared him with only _that_ aim in his mind.

Baekhyun sighed shortly, testing the ropes tying him to the chair.

They weren’t too tight, so maybe he could do something about them.

But with his injured wrist, how many possibilities did he have?

His head was still numbed and not clear enough.

And as if that wasn’t enough, he wanted to know why Choi decided to bring him there and what exactly wanted from him.

It wasn’t only for killing him, otherwise he would have ordered Chanyeol to simply shoot him somewhere and then make it seems an accident.

So there had to be a reason why he was still alive.

He inhaled deeply, keeping his eyes shut and simply breathing, focusing on whatever it could be useful later on in the moment he maybe would manage to escape.

_If_ he managed to.

All the odds were against him that time.

And he still couldn’t process how Chanyeol who was literally the only one he could trust, betray him that easily.

Or maybe there was something that he wasn’t seeing and things weren’t how they appeared to be?

_Stop deluding yourself, Byun_ – he told himself, hard and disappointed.

Chanyeol had his own personal profit in all of that.

And before he could think anymore about it, sleepiness had the best of him again and fell asleep again.

He was woken up, this time not so softly as before, with a whole bucket of ice-cold water.

Baekhyun hissed, containing the swear that was on his lips almost immediately.

This time though, his head was clear and lucid as he normally would be.

“Wake up, Byun” Choi’s voice came nearer than expected and opening his eyes Baekhyun found him on his side, hand gripping hard on Baekhyun’s shoulder.

“Lieutenant general, I thought we wouldn’t see for a while, yet here we are” Baekhyun replied making Choi chuckle softly, shaking his head.

“I was already missing you, Byun…” he stated and Baekhyun chuckled too.

“An impossibility, I’d dare to say. What do you want from me?” he asked Choi who clicked his tongue.

“Who said I want something from you?” he retorted making Baekhyun let out a laugh.

“Would I be alive if you didn’t want anything from me?” he objected, shrugging his shoulders for how much possible it was from that position.

Choi’s hand pulled his hair, turning Baekhyun’s head toward him.

“You would have asked Yeol to kill me, but since you didn’t, it’s probable that you want something from me” Baekhyun added and Choi smirked, nodding.

“How was it? Being betrayed by your own team member? And he’s not only that right, judging from the signs on your neck. They weren’t there when I left you to EXO yesterday morning” Choi stated and Baekhyun clicked his tongue shortly.

“You don’t understand. I have no team members, nor partners. We only fuck around” he replied coldly, lying well enough to convince Choi.

Who was convinced because gripped harder on his hair, pulling his head back.

“Then, if you know that you are alive just for some fucking information you have, and you don’t care about EXO members nor of that Park boy, hurry up and share those with me” he stated angrily and Baekhyun hummed briefly.

“I don’t know what you are hinting to, Lieutenant general” he retorted, stare meeting with Choi’s who frowned deeply.

“I need all the information possible on EXO, Byun. And I mean, _every single little detail_ ” he explained briefly and Baekhyun chuckled before clicking his tongue.

“Why army should worry about EXO? Or is it a personal matter?” he asked toward Choi who punched Baekhyun on his cheek, making him spit blood.

Baekhyun spit a bit more feeling it in his mouth and then chuckled again.

“Oh, personal matter then. Is it because of Myeon or…?” he inquired again, but Choi punched him once more, before throwing at him another bucket of ice-cold water.

Baekhyun hissed again, feeling the coldness getting to his bones.

“Stay here and refresh your thoughts a bit” he concluded walking out of the room.

It wasn’t locked.

So Baekhyun could exit whenever he wanted.

How many persons were there apart of Choi?

Guards?

Other soldiers?

And could he find a weapon somewhere or…?

It was in that moment that Baekhyun realized that there was something in his pockets.

Apart for the strawberry hairpin that was always there, there was something else and forming its shape in his mind, for how it pressed on Baekhyun’s thigh, it was a key.

A key.

To what?

And there was a keychain too.

Baekhyun forced himself a bit more, realizing that it most probably was a guitar.

_A guitar_?

Chanyeol’s car keys had a guitar keychain.

But why Baekhyun had them?

Admittingly that those really were Chanyeol’s car keys.

Baekhyun was tired of waiting and he didn’t want to face once again Choi, not now that he knew that what he was after was information about EXO.

He had to go and tell it to Junmyeon.

Baekhyun started pulling at the rope that seemed to be not so tight as he thought.

His wrist still hurt like hell, but that wasn’t the right moment to be weak about it.

They gave in after few more pulls and once his hands were free, it was a moment pulling out also the ones that tied him at his ankles too.

He checked the keys in his pocket, and they really were Chanyeol’s.

There was something strange.

Why leaving him his car keys?

How Chanyeol went back from there?

However, there wasn’t any time to think about it.

He had to move and go away from the place and warn Junmyeon about Choi and his danger toward EXO.

Baekhyun pulled the door open, slowly, checking the corridors at his sides and when he was sure that there wasn’t anyone, he walked toward the end, trying to figure out the best way to exit that place and where exactly could be a parking place where Chanyeol could have left his car.

He met few guards that he took off as silently as possible, hiding their bodies as best as possible and earning himself two guns and a knife.

The building seemed to be a military prebuilt, and as all the other ones, it had the very same structure.

Baekhyun followed corridors, hiding in the shadows and mainly avoiding every not necessary fight, until he got outside.

The gate was closed with a big lock and Baekhyun pulled out the strawberry hairpin from his pocket, starting to lockpicking it.

He was so grateful for that hairpin.

Especially when the lock clicked open and he could run toward the parking.

In the parking lot he recognized immediately Chanyeol’s car and in the very same moment that he moved toward it, he heard a siren in the distance.

It seemed like Choi realized that he escaped.

“Too late” Baekhyun whispered, entering the car and starting the engine.

The tank was full, so he simply engaged the gear and started off, driving away.

He didn’t know where in the world he was, but Chanyeol’s car had a navigator device and Baekhyun fidgeted with it, setting EXO as destination.

Apparently, in no more than an hour he would be there.

_Hopefully_.

While he was bustled with the navigator, he also saw that it was almost eleven in the evening.

A day already passed.

He sighed deeply, continuing to drive.

His wrist hurt like hell, he was drenched, and his cheek surely was starting to swell, but he had to go back.

He had to tell Junmyeon what was happening.

And try to understand why Chanyeol acted like this.

Because it wasn’t what it seemed to be.

And Baekhyun wasn’t deluding himself.

He was sure that his ropes were tied too sloppily.

And why Chanyeol left him his car keys and his car if he didn’t want him to escape?

And Chanyeol woke him up before bringing to whatever place that was, like he wanted to know that it was _his_ doing.

There had to be a reason.

Baekhyun drove until EXO in less than forty minutes.

He almost flight there more driving but seeing the urgency probably it was a good thing.

After he parked the car in the parking lot, Baekhyun ran inside, pushing the doors open and, not finding anyone in the hall he went to their shared room.

“Dae!” he started pushing the door open and Jondae sat up immediately, worried from his bed where he was readying something on his phone.

“Baek! Heavens, what happened to your face and you are drenched!” he asked him worried, walking toward him but Baekhyun shook his head shortly.

“Did you see Yeol? Is he back?” he asked him briefly and Jondae shook his head too.

“Wasn’t he with you?” he retorted and Baekhyun carded his fingers through his hair.

What in the world was happening?

Baekhyun knew that Chanyeol wasn’t still in the same place he escaped from.

But he wasn’t even back to EXO.

Baekhyun nodded briefly.

“Is Myeon still here?” he asked him but Jondae shook his head, trying to understand what was happening.

“May I ask you your phone? I have to call him urgently and I don’t know where is mine…” he whispered and Jondae frowned even deeper before nodding again and giving the phone to Baekhyun, already set on calling Junmyeon.

Baekhyun moved toward his closet picking up a clean t-shirt and another pair of jeans.

Junmyeon picked up after the second ring.

“Chen? Are you fine?” he asked him and Baekhyun sighed deeply.

“Sorry, I’m Baek. I know it’s late but would you mind coming back to EXO? There’s something pretty urgent I want to talk with you” he stated immediately, starting to pull out his jeans and he heard a rustling sound on the other line.

“Sure, is it… urgent, right? Reason why you are calling me with Chen’s phone?” he asked him and Baekhyun chuckled shortly.

“I wouldn’t ever dream of disturbing you at home for something not urgent, Dae’s phone or not” he replied softly and Junmyeon hummed in thought, telling him that he would be there in fifteen minutes before hanging up.

Baekhyun gave back the phone to Jondae, thanking him, but Jondae’s stare was still worried.

“Baek…” he started but Baekhyun stopped him briefly.

“I have to speak with Myeon about this. Later, depending on what he will tell me, I’ll share it with you guys too” he whispered briefly, almost apologetically.

“Is it this urgent?” Jondae asked him again and Baekhyun nodded briefly.

“Maybe even more than I expect” he concluded pulling on the new t-shirt and picking up the strawberry hairpin from the old jeans and putting it in the new ones.

“I’m sorry” he concluded before walking outside till the hall where he met Junmyeon, who frowned seeing him with his cheek that swollen.

“Let’s go upstairs, please” Baekhyun asked him and Junmyeon nodded leading the way.

When they were in Junmyeon’s office they both sat on the same side of the desk, the one usually dedicated to guests and Junmyeon’s stare was worried and on him.

“I… where do I even start from?” Baekhyun started, carding his fingers through his hair and inhaling deeply.

But before Junmyeon could reply to him, Baekhyun spoke up.

He didn’t want to reveal what there was between him and Chanyeol, _whatever it may be_.

“Yesterday I was out with Yeol. We were celebrating a bit and… He drugged me” he started saying and when Junmyeon frowned, ready to say something back, Baekhyun stopped him with a gesture of his hand.

“Wait, let me finish, please” he stated and Junmyeon inhaled deeply too, waiting.

“He brought me to an ex-military base, I have the coordinates, later I can give them to you. There were Lieutenant general Choi there. And he wanted to interrogate me about EXO, about this place, about you about the other members” he stated and Junmyeon frowned deeply.

“Why is Choi asking questions about us?” he asked him and Baekhyun shook his head.

“I don’t know the details, because I manage to escape?” he replied shrugging his shoulders.

Junmyeon sighed deeply, shaking his head too, clearly worried and unable to process all those things.

“And you said that Chanyeol _drugged_ you?” he whispered briefly and Baekhyun hummed shortly.

“I’m sure about it. But I’m sure also that there has to be a reason why he did it. Because I know that he was him who tied me and he didn’t tie me too tightly, making me able to escape somehow. And he left me his car and car keys, Myeon. He didn’t betray me. He wanted me to know something, to ask questions…” he whispered, showing the keys to Junmyeon who frowned again.

“It seems to me that he betrayed you nevertheless, Baek…” he started saying but Baekhyun shook his head frantically.

“He didn’t, Myeon. I’m sure about it… And I came here, hoping to find him here but he’s not and I think he’s in danger too” he explained hurriedly, stare worried and already thinking about what could have happened to him.

Junmyeon sighed shortly before speaking up too.

“Yeol came here this afternoon, you don’t need to worry. He was in a hurry because he was going to visit Yoora” he explained and Baekhyun frowned shortly.

“What happened to her?” he asked worried, realizing that neither the day before when he got back to EXO, Yoora was there.

“She’s ill. Yeol is pretty worried about it, actually” Junmyeon explained and Baekhyun had his reply.

Yoora.

The only thing that could move Chanyeol to do _whatever_.

Even feigning to betray Baekhyun.

“Do you have Yoora’s number?” Baekhyun asked him and Junmyeon nodded frowning.

“Can we call her?” he continued asking and Junmyeon agreed even if he was skeptical.

On her mobile phone, it went through immediately to the answering machine, like it was turned off or not in reach.

“At home?” Baekhyun asked him, more worried than before, and Junmyeon immediately composed the number.

They waited for few rings and then the sleepy voice of a woman replied at the phone, clearly older than Yoora.

“This is Park mansion, how can I help?” she asked and Baekhyun was faster than Junmyeon in replying.

“Mrs. Park? Sorry for disturbing you, I’m Baekhyun, Yoora’s friend. Is she there?” he asked her politely, introducing himself and there was a small silence before the woman could reply.

“Yoora is out with her friends for few days. Or at least this is what _Chanyeollie_ said. Is there any problem?” she asked alarmed and Baekhyun forced a small chuckle.

“Oh, was it this week? Sorry, I totally forgot about it. And sorry also for disturbing you, Mrs. Park. Have a goodnight” he concluded and Junmyeon hang up.

Baekhyun inhaled deeply.

Yoora was taken away probably from Choi’s men.

And Chanyeol didn’t had any choice if not obey to them.

Even if he did it following his rules and trusting Baekhyun’s abilities.

The question now was: where were Chanyeol and Yoora?

Because with all the possibilities Choi didn’t simply let Yoora go when he had Baekhyun.

Especially not after that Baekhyun managed to escape successfully.

So, where?

Baekhyun didn’t know where to find them, but he knew who there was behind it.

And he needed his phone.

He sat up immediately, startling Junmyeon.

“Where are you going?” Junmyeon asked him and Baekhyun sighed shortly.

“I don’t know if you believe me and neither the fact that I know that Chanyeol didn’t betray me. But I have to find him” he stated walking away.

“Baek, wait. Wait” Junmyeon called him but Baekhyun shook his head, stopping on the door.

“Try to discover why Choi is interested in EXO. I will bring Yeol back” he concluded, closing the door behind himself and literally running down to the stairs.

He went to the armory without even passing from his shared room with Jondae and Minseok.

It would be too long to explain them and forcing them not to go with him.

So he simply avoided going there, explain and simply passed in the armory taking his preferred sniper rifle, two Berettas and some knives too.

His wrist still hurt pretty bad, but he got the hunch that it was a life or death situation and the time was an important matter in all of that.

Baekhyun went to the parking and decided to take his own car instead of Chanyeol’s, driving until the hill house.

Once there he had to force his way in, again with the precious help of his strawberry hairpin, and once inside he inhaled deeply.

It felt like months instead of hours since last evening events.

And how he realized his feelings for Chanyeol and…

Baekhyun pushed everything away.

Maybe he was really deluding himself and Yoora was really with her friends somewhere and Chanyeol really betrayed him and all of that was just a series of unfortunate coincidences.

But if there was even the one percent possibility that Baekhyun was instead right, he wanted to go for it.

Baekhyun took his phone, checking the battery but it was more than sixty percent, so it should be enough to survive.

He dialed Choi’s number and he replied almost immediately.

“Byun” he stated, tone angry and annoyed.

“Where’s Yeol?” he asked him directly and Choi chuckled briefly.

“You want to know? Come back here” he replied but Baekhyun shook his head shortly.

“I need some warranties. Do you think I’m born yesterday?” he retorted shrugging his shoulders and Choi chuckled again, moving away his phone.

“It’s for you, dear” Baekhyun heard Choi saying and on the other line there were some sobs, not Chanyeol’s but Yoora’s.

“Yoora?!” Baekhyun called and on the other line the voice stopped sobbing.

“Baek? Oh heavens, you are back? How many days passed?” she asked and Baekhyun frowned realizing that she was kidnapped when Baekhyun was already away and it was already several days.

“I’m coming to pick you up. I’m on my way there” he stated and he hoped to hear more of her, but Choi’s voice was back again on the line.

“So up to another visit here, _Baek_?” he asked him and Baekhyun inhaled deeply.

“Is Yeol there too?” he retorted, worried and Choi chuckled.

“Why don’t you come here and discover it by yourself?” he concluded hanging up and Baekhyun groaned in frustration, wanting to throw his phone on the other side of the room, but restraining himself from doing it.

His only possibility was to go there and see it by himself.

However, was it wise to go alone?

Or was it better to ask also Jondae and Minseok?

Or maybe to Sehun and Jongin too?

He inhaled deeply, fingers carding through his hair.

Baekhyun unlocked his phone, tapping on the app Yoora installed on his phone.

He started a new conversation with Jondae, Minseok, Jongin and Sehun.

_Baek_ wrote:

[00:50AM] Guys, Yeol is in danger and I need your help. Meet me at these coordinates as soon as possible

And even before he could lock it again, there were already three replies.

_TheGreat_ wrote:

[00:51AM] On our way. Me and Minseok will leave base in full operative mode in five minutes.

_WindBoy_ wrote:

[00:51AM] In the armory, Chen can you pick us up in the parking lot in 10?

_TheGreat_ wrote:

[00:51AM] Ready in 7.

Baekhyun smiled shortly, nodding.

Including the others would be a good idea.

They could help him saving both Chanyeol and Yoora.

And they didn’t need to know what happened before.

Only that Chanyeol and Yoora were in danger and they needed to be saved as soon as possible.

He closed the door after himself and drove until the place, a rundown and already closed from years bar on the highway.

And in less than half an hour, also the others were there, all with Jondae’s car.

“Baek!” Jondae exclaimed seeing him and running toward him.

“Dae, I’m sorry I went away without telling you anything but I needed some confirmations” he whispered and Jondae shook his head softly.

“I’ll shortly briefing you on what I know, that is unfortunately not how much I would like to…” Baekhyun started saying tapping on his phone and showing them a planimetry of a military prebuilt.

“This is a planimetry of the building where Yoora and Yeol are kept. Choi is also there. Most probably he kidnapped them to reach me or Myeon?” he whispered and Jongin frowned briefly.

“Why taking Yoora though?” he asked perplexed and Baekhyun hummed in thought.

“Maybe to convince Yeol to follow him?” he tried, trying to sound convincing and managing pretty well since Jongin and Sehun nodded convinced.

“I don’t know how many guards are there. Hope you came prepared though” he added and Jondae nodded shortly, showing him the trunk of his car, filled with weapons, some bombs, in-ear devices and bulletproof jackets.

“Heavens bless you guys” Baekhyun whispered earning a small chuckle from all the presents.

He inhaled shortly, closing his eyes before speaking up again.

“I don’t know anything about this place, about how many guards, about Yoora and Yeol still being alive or not…” he started saying before opening again his eyes and staring at all of them.

“But I know that we can do this. Let’s go home together” he whispered, voice slightly wavering at the end and Minseok patted on his shoulders.

“Stop doing everything alone, you jerk. We are a team, and nothing can beat team EXO” he whispered earning a small nod from Jondae and a wide smirk from Sehun.

Jongin instead has watery eyes.

“You guys are the worst” he stated opening again the door of Jondae’s car and sitting in, making Sehun chuckle.

“He’s just a soft boy sometimes” he concluded and Baekhyun chuckled softly.

“I’ll drive with you so you won’t be alone” Sehun whispered toward Baekhyun and he smiled briefly, nodding with his head.

“I owe you another one, Sehun” he concluded, greeting the others and moving to his car, followed by Sehun.

He was worried.

Probably like he never was before.

However, he knew that with them, somehow, he could do it.

No.

_They_ could do it.

Baekhyun drove, followed by Jondae, once again toward the same place where he was kept for a day.

This time all the lights were on, sign that they were awaited.

“We can take off the outside guards from here?” Sehun asked calculating the distance between them and the parking lot.

There were four guards going around but Baekhyun was already nodding softly.

“We can do it from here, _Sehunnie_ ” he started showing him a place and taking off his rifle, starting to putting it up.

Also Sehun came with another sniper rifle that he started to assemble as Baekhyun was doing.

“I don’t know how much time we have before they realize that we killed them” Baekhyun started, briefly thanking Minseok that was giving them in-ear devices.

“Channel four” Minseok added and they all tune in to it.

“Ah-Ah, can you hear me?” Jondae asked speaking and they all nodded.

“Perfect. So how do we proceed once you take those out?” Jongin asked them and Baekhyun hummed briefly, fingers reaching for his strawberry hairpin and putting it in his hair, keeping his hair away from his face.

“Tear gas can be dangerous. If they realize we are here, they could decide to kill Yoora or Yeol…” he started saying and Minseok nodded briefly, totally agreeing with him.

“So, I suggest simply going in, doing the less noise possible, taking out only the necessary, retrieve them and coming out” Baekhyun stated and Jondae nodded briefly.

“Simple and clear” he retorted and Baekhyun chuckled shortly.

“Let’s hope so” he concluded, laying on the ground and feeling his wrist aching even more than before.

“Keep it up for a while more” he whispered, hoping that the pain would stay like this without intensifying any more.

He inhaled deeply, leaning in and looking through the lens.

“Those two at our left are mine, can you take care of the other two?” Baekhyun asked Sehun who let out a small chuckle.

“Roger it” he concluded and settling down too.

“At your count” Sehun added and Baekhyun closed his eyes briefly, focusing.

“Three, two… one” he counted down and at _one_ they both shot, precise and silent as only them could be.

And in reloading time, they took off also the other two.

“Great” Baekhyun whispered, standing up again and taking out his gun.

“Let’s divide in two? There are two areas of the building… Me with Sehun and Dae on this way. Jongin and Minseok- _hyung_ on the other part?” he proposed and Jongin frowned shortly, making Baekhyun frown too.

“You don’t find it suitable?” he asked briefly, immediately starting to think about some other tactics that could work, and Jongin hummed in thought.

“It’s the first time I receive tactical orders with my first name” he stated and Baekhyun’s eyes went wider in surprise.

“Oh, I-I’m sorry… it’s just that…” he started saying almost embarrassed since he was so used to call them by their name and usually it was Junmyeon giving them orders and calling them by nicknames.

Jongin shook his head briefly, showing him a small smile.

“I don’t dislike it, _Baekhyun_ ” he concluded taking off his gun and starting to move toward the other area of the building, followed by Minseok.

Baekhyun was about to move too when Jondae’s perplexed stare attracted his attention.

“Why did you split our teams?” Jondae asked him and Baekhyun hummed shortly.

“Tactically speaking, Jongin and _hyung_ are… perfect together. They are both very physical and… have you ever noticed that weird synchro they have when we have full combat practices?” he asked toward Jondae who nodded shortly, still perplexed.

“This time it’s a die or die situation, and their synchronization can save their life. Same goes for the intuitive sense you both have. You could survive alone better than _hyung_ and Jongin. That’s why they need to be together. They won’t get separate” he stated, explaining his reasoning about it, and Sehun chuckled shaking his head.

“Myeon never…” he started saying and Baekhyun sighed deeply, interrupting him briefly.

“Myeon will kill me whatever it may happen after this. And not because I mixed up SKY team with CBX” he concluded forcing a smile and starting to move toward the same area of the building where he came from.

There was another reason why he sent Minseok and Jongin on the other side.

With all the possibilities, Yoora was kept in that area, not in the one where Baekhyun were.

While he was escaping, he found a lot of empty and opened room only.

No places where someone could be held.

And always following this reasoning, Choi knew that Baekhyun cared the most about Chanyeol, so he would have kept him in the same room from where Baekhyun escaped no more than few hours ago.

“We are in” Minseok’s voice stated in the in-ear and Baekhyun hummed, slightly pushing open their door too.

“We are too” he replied softly, moving slowly, along the walls, beware of every single sound or noise.

They walked around passing again a lot of empty doors and taking out only who came in their ways.

But at a certain point they came to a crossroad.

Baekhyun tried picturing where it was compared to the room he arrived from.

“It’s better to divide again” Baekhyun whispered again making Jondae frown.

“Baek…” he started saying but Baekhyun shook his head.

“Dae, I’m trained for this more than you. And I don’t want to lose either of you, so can you please simply go with _Sehunnie_ on that side while I will go on this?” he asked him softly, earning another worried stare from Jondae.

“I swear that if you die, I’ll haunt you even in the after-life” Jondae stated, staring at him dead-serious.

Baekhyun’s eyes went wider before he could smile briefly.

“I told you. We will go back together” he concluded and Jondae patted on his shoulders, before going away with Sehun that smiled at him before mouthing a small _fighting_.

Baekhyun smiled even wider, nodded back at him before going toward his own direction.

The one he escaped from also before.

The one he was sure that would lead him directly toward Choi.

And it was exactly like that.

Same room.

This time with the door open.

Choi was standing near the same chair, but now at his place there was Chanyeol.

“Oh, look who’s there” he stated and Baekhyun raised his gun toward Choi, who shook his head briefly, pointing a gun to Chanyeol’s head.

“No need to be this hostile, Byun. Let’s talk a bit” he stated softly, sly smile appearing on his lips and Baekhyun nodded briefly, not putting down his gun though.

“Park boy, let our common friend know that you are still with us” Choi stated, slapping him and Chanyeol hissed, nodding shortly.

His face was swollen and his torso full of cuts, probably due to torture.

Baekhyun’s stare was hard on Choi even if he was worried about Chanyeol.

How much alive was he?

How much time did Baekhyun have to save him?

Was it possible or…?

His in-ear crackled, Minseok’s voice coming up.

“We found Yoora. She’s a bit shook but she’s fine” he stated and Baekhyun felt slightly relieved, even if now he had other problem to face.

“I didn’t think you were this stupid to come alone again, Byun. But otherwise, what could I expect from someone like you? You are hated by everyone, not able to team up with anyone due to your _disciplinary problems_. And you still have that red hair and that god-awful hairpin” Choi started saying and Chanyeol raised his face toward Baekhyun.

“You came alone?” he whispered, worried, voice barely audible.

And Baekhyun nodded, shortly, briefly.

“Obviously. Why should have I called someone else? I’m the only super soldier Lieutenant general created. The only one remained of his great army” Baekhyun stated, showing his best confident smirk and Chanyeol stared back at him before nodding again, stare leaving his face.

But Baekhyun knew that Chanyeol didn’t believe a single word of what he just said.

And he knew that he wasn’t alone.

“You are such a silly boy, Byun. You always were. Since the very start, since when you accepted to enter the program just to please your father. As you were every time you decided to trust me in whatever I asked you to do. They were good times… Then Bagdad happened and you changed. You came back different, with questions, undisciplined and unruled. You dyed your hair red, started practicing alone, started being stronger than anyone, even between your fellow teammates. That’s why I tried to kill. And not once or twice. But you always fucking came back alive” Choi stated, feeling his anger building up, unable to contain his voice and Baekhyun chuckled, shrugging his shoulders.

“You think I never realized? I know you wanted me off. I don’t know why you gave me to EXO, though. Wouldn’t it be easier trying to kill me while I was still working under you?” he asked him and Choi was even more infuriated.

“It wasn’t my decision! They decided that you were too unruly to be kept there, but your achievements too great to simply discharge you with honors. So, they proposed EXO and that’s why I tried to send some hitmen also to your other missions, but you always managed to survive. You survived even Nepal. _Again_ ” he stated even angrier and Baekhyun wanted to chuckle again because to him it only seemed like a kitsch joke.

“I will be your nightmare, after all” Baekhyun let out making Choi snort, shaking his head.

“Yeah, really. And when I thought that Park made a great work in drugging and bringing you here, with a little bit of help, you managed to escape again? How was it even possible?” he asked him and Baekhyun frowned briefly.

That meant that Choi didn’t know about Chanyeol not tightening his rope enough.

And neither of the car and its keys.

Chanyeol never told him and Choi hadn’t realized it yet.

It was the best then.

“A bit of luck” Baekhyun whispered, smirking shortly, making Choi click his tongue.

“Well, now it’s all over. Put down that gun and come here. It’s you that I want. I don’t need Park anymore” Choi stated and Baekhyun hummed briefly.

He was trying to decide what was better to do, but his in-ear crackled again.

“Baek, I’m outside here. Accept the exchange and on my go, lay down. I’ll shot that asshole in his forehead” Sehun whispered and Baekhyun clicked his tongue.

The only sound he ever agreed on when Jondae initially proposed it as way to reply if they weren’t able to speak openly.

“Roger” Sehun replied and Baekhyun nodded toward Choi.

“Okay, Lieutenant general, let’s make this trade” he whispered putting down his gun and making it slide toward Choi’s direction.

Choi made Chanyeol sat up forcing him toward the exit and gesturing toward Baekhyun.

Chanyeol was staggering and his stare was worried on Baekhyun and when they pass each other Baekhyun mouthed a simple _lay down_ , upon hearing the very same words in his in-ear device.

They both laid down on the floor and from the door Sehun shot twice.

Choi though, understood something and moved just in time to be shot just on his shoulder, making him lose his gun but immediately moving toward Baekhyun.

“Take Yeol” Baekhyun ordered to Sehun, physically confronting Choi for the first time in years.

“You grew older, Lieutenant general” he stated punching him in the stomach and pushing him on the floor immediately.

“Byun!” he growled extracting another gun, but Baekhyun was quicker and made his neck snap with bare hands, feeling his own wrist crack too, a piercing pain expanding to all his fingers.

Baekhyun almost wanted to cry for how bad it hurt.

But his first thought went to Chanyeol and Sehun behind him.

“Guys!” he called turning around and both of them stared at him worried.

“You okay?” Sehun asked him but Baekhyun nodded without even thinking about it.

“Yeah, yeah” he retorted shortly, nearing Chanyeol and checking his injuries.

There was a lot of blood but it wasn’t as bad as it looked.

“Baekhyun, we heard a crack. And it wasn’t from Choi’s neck” Sehun whispered worried and Baekhyun brushed his comment off with a shrug of his shoulders.

“I will have it checked when we will manage to bring Chanyeol somewhere safe” he concluded, helping Chanyeol to sit up but he was worried.

“We need to find Yoora, Baekhyun… She’s somewhere here…” he started saying, voice feeble but Baekhyun smiled at him briefly.

“She’s with _hyung_ and Jongin” he whispered and Chanyeol opened in a relieved smile.

“Thank you” he stated before passing out, scaring the hell out of Baekhyun and Sehun.

“ _Sehunnie_ , what do we do! Help me bring him outside!” he stated and in that moment appeared also Jondae who helped them, while informing them of another whole problem.

“Myeon called me” he stated while they were bringing Chanyeol outside the building and Baekhyun inhaled deeply, worried.

“He’s outside here with Minseok, Jongin and Yoora. They have and ambulance ready too, since Minseok thought that Yeol’s conditions weren’t the best” he stated again and Baekhyun nodded briefly.

“Fine. Easiest way to bring him somewhere safe. I couldn’t have asked for anything better” he retorted but Jondae pressed his lips in a thin line, staring at him, stopping in front of the exit door.

“He wants to speak with you. Immediately” he concluded, pushing it open and Baekhyun sighed deeply exiting with them.

There was a moment of chaos.

Yoora was worried for her brother, as anyone else and forced paramedics to let her go with them in the ambulance until the hospital.

Minseok had a cut on his cheek and Jongin signs of shots on his jacket, but no other injuries.

Both Sehun and Jondae were unhurt.

Junmyeon’s stare was cold on Baekhyun.

“You took all my guys without consent” he stated and when they tried to interject, he stopped them with a gesture of his hand and Baekhyun nodded shortly, nearing him.

“I know. And I’m ready to take whatever punishment it may come for it, including being fired on spot” he whispered and when the others tried to interject again, this time was Baekhyun’s time to stop them with a small gesture of his hand, earning a perplexed stare from Junmyeon.

“You even let two of them get hurt” Junmyeon stated and Baekhyun nodded, stare moving to Minseok and Jongin.

“I… did, yes. Maybe it would have been better to send Jondae too with _hyung_ and Jongin, keeping with me only _Sehunnie_ ” he whispered and Junmyeon’s eyes went even wider in perplexity, probably due to the utilization of those names.

“And you even let Yeol be injured that bad, involving also Yoora” he continued and Baekhyun hummed shortly.

“Yeah. Both of them didn’t have any charges, they simply get caught in all of this for my ineptitude” Baekhyun stated, staring back directly in Junmyeon’s eyes.

“Both?” Junmyeon echoed and Baekhyun nodded again, no uncertainty in his gesture.

“Both” he concluded, not letting anything about Chanyeol go, not wanting the others to know about it.

Because he knew why all of that happened.

And indeed it was all because wasn’t attentive enough and went away like Choi wanted, giving him the possibility to kidnap Yoora and blackmail Chanyeol.

So, no, he didn’t want anybody except him, Chanyeol and Junmyeon to know about it.

“This is your final version?” Junmyeon asked him and Baekhyun smiled at him, softly.

“I don’t know other versions apart from this” he replied and Junmyeon hummed in thought.

“Fine. Come tomorrow to my office so that we can decide about what it will be of you. For tonight just have that wrist checked and rest” he concluded walking away and Baekhyun inhaled deeply, feeling drained of all his strengths.

And if before he wanted to cry, when another paramedic came by to check his wrist, he definitely cried when he said that it was broken and most probably he couldn’t move it for at least four months and he would have needed a plaster cast.

He spent the following four hours under operation for the doctors to fix his wrist before putting a plaster on it.

“Byun, every month you have to come here, for five months. And if I come to know that you are not resting it properly, I’ll break also your other one” the doctor finally told him before sending him home.

Baekhyun took a taxi to EXO and once there he simply went to his shared room, when Jondae and Minseok were already sleeping, probably dead tired too.

He laid down too, feeling all his bones and muscles aching, like it was years since last time he laid down on a bed and even before realizing it, he fell asleep in no more than five minutes.

The day after, he was woken up by his phone ringing annoyingly in his ear.

It was ten o’clock.

Or preferably only four hours later than when Baekhyun finally was able to lay down.

On the screen there was Junmyeon ID.

Baekhyun groaned, feeling his wrist aching _oh so much_ but slide his thumb on the phone picking up.

“Come upstairs. No need to prepare yourself” he simply stated, hanging up and Baekhyun sighed shortly, sitting up.

It meant _now_.

He brushed his hair at least a bit, even if he was in urgent need of a shower.

But he didn’t want Junmyeon to wait.

So he did what he asked.

Baekhyun went upstairs, taking the secondary stairs instead of the main hall ones.

He didn’t want to meet with the others, especially not Yoora if she were back to work.

After knocking softly and receiving the permission to enter in the studio, he pushed the door open, finding Junmyeon frowning in front of a stack of papers.

“Please, sit” Junmyeon said and Baekhyun nodded shortly, nearing the desk and sitting in front of it.

“I… don’t like people who doesn’t listen to my orders” he started, stare moving toward Baekhyun and Baekhyun nodded shortly.

“Myeon, if I may…” he tried to say but Junmyeon shook his head.

“You know what _these_ are?” he asked him, pushing the small stack of papers toward Baekhyun who shook his head briefly, not having the faintest idea.

They seemed to be normal white paper folded one on the other.

Nothing more.

“Resignation letters” he stated and Baekhyun’s eyes went wider in perplexity and before he could enquire any further, Junmyeon continued: “and you know which is the only condition not to go away from EXO of every single of them?”.

Baekhyun shook his head again, not understanding what was happening.

Why the guys should have filed a resignation letter?

What was happening to them?

“They came one by one, starting from this morning. Chen, Sehun and then Xiumin and Kai. I thought they were only them but also Yoora came in, and Yeol too” Junmyeon whispered counting every name with the matching resignation letter.

“Myeon, I don’t…” he started but Junmyeon stopped him again, with a small gesture of his hand.

“Even Do came filing for one. And you know what they all asked?” he inquired toward Baekhyun who gulped down, shaking his head again, frowning and worried.

Even Yoora?

And Chanyeol?

Did it mean that he was better and…

Baekhyun missed him so much, feeling immediately relieved only at the idea that Chanyeol was able to go to Junmyeon’s office on his own.

Even Kyungsoo went for it.

It should be something important, something that Baekhyun lost probably being away in Nepal those few weeks.

“Not to fire you” was Junmyeon simple statement at the end and Baekhyun’s eyes went wider in perplexity, before he could feel tears prickling at the corner of his eyes.

“They are a bunch of idiots” he managed to whisper before feeling tears escaping his eyes.

He couldn’t believe that every single one of EXO members file a resignation letter against Junmyeon’s decision to fire Baekhyun.

With the only condition to stay, not a raise, not less hour or less dangerous works.

But for Baekhyun to stay with them.

And Baekhyun never felt so blessed in his life like that moment.

Because in an instant he felt all the warm support of all EXO members.

He felt _loved_.

And it was the best feeling in the world.

“I’m sorry they… did it without…” Baekhyun started saying, immediately wiping away those few tears that managed to escape, but Junmyeon smiled at him, softly.

“I know. They wrote something different in each letter, so I know that they didn’t decide it together. Nor that you spoke with them about this” he stated briefly and before Baekhyun could explain or apologize once again, Junmyeon spoke up again.

“And I want you to know that, while I don’t like people who doesn’t obey my orders, I like those who manage to form such a deep bond with my men, being able to understand them even better than I did in so many years” he stated briefly, making Baekhyun’s eyes went event wider than before.

Junmyeon smiled toward him again.

“You are a rare element, Baekhyun. Precious and important to this team. And I want you to be here with us a while more, if you are up to it” he concluded and Baekhyun nodded before bowing deeply, as deep as he could go by his sitting position.

“I would be honored to be part of this team for a while more” he whispered and Junmyeon nodded pleased by his reply, picking up the stack of resignation letters and giving it to Baekhyun.

“Read them. Some reasons are quite pleasant to read” he stated and Baekhyun frowned taking them and opening the first one.

It was Kyungsoo’s.

_After deeply thinking about it, I decided to file this resignation letter from EXO._

_The reason is because I feel like there is an equilibrium inside here and if any of its member would have to be fired, it wouldn’t be the same._

_If everything remains as it is, I wouldn’t mind staying here a while more._

_Do Kyungsoo_

Baekhyun smiled softly, thanking mentally Kyungsoo and picking up another one.

It was Minseok’s.

_I resign from EXO Agency._

_Because there’s no way I’m staying here if we are sending away such a valid and precious member as Baekhyun is. And you know it too, Myeon!_

_He’s the brother I never had, and I would give my life for him._

_If he stays, I stay._

_Kim Minseok_

Baekhyun’s eyes started watering again, warm feeling again spreading to his chest.

It was so soft and so precious and Minseok’s words were so important to him.

Neither his own brother ever said something like that to Baekhyun.

Baekhyun picked up another one, this time Jongin’s.

_Myeon, I’m leaving EXO._

_Nothing bond me here, right? It was nice and all, I like everything up until now, but I will follow Baekhyun wherever he will go._

_Because there are so many things I want to apprehend from him and because he’s the only one who calls me with my name except Yeol._

_I won’t go anywhere if he stays here._

_Kim Jongin_

Baekhyun shook his head, imagining Jongin while he was writing that small letter and couldn’t do anything but smile softly.

Baekhyun came to cherish every EXO member differently and liking them at his own way.

And knowing that they somehow liked him back, was a beautiful feeling.

Something new that Baekhyun never experienced before but made him feel _warm_.

He picked another one, this time Sehun’s.

_I don’t think it’s the right thing to fire_ hyung _, boss._

_He’s too precious for us and no one will like you anymore if you send him away._

_Or at least, I won’t._

_Or better, I will go away if you send him away too._

_Oh Sehun_

Baekhyun smiled again, remembering himself to hug Sehun super tight once outside there.

He even called Baekhyun _hyung_.

Baekhyun couldn’t believe it.

The stack got smaller and Baekhyun picked up Jondae’s.

_I hereby state that I, Kim Jondae, am willing to leave EXO with immediate effect._

_I don’t need anything because anything could compensate the loss of such a valiant member and kind-hearted friend as Baekhyun is._

_I don’t care if there will be some consequences for my action, he still is the only reason why we came back alive for so many missions._

_And he is always the same dork, despite being a super soldier._

_If there’s a way to make him stay, I will stay here too._

_Otherwise, I will be forced to go away._

_Faithfully,_

_Kim Jondae_

And now Baekhyun was almost crying again, wiping away the tears that menaced to fall over with sweatshirt.

Jondae was a treasure, not only a friend.

One of the members he would have missed more if he really had to go away.

Baekhyun though, tried to steel himself up and picked up Yoora’s letter.

_Dear Myeon,_

_Here’s Yoora. Chanyeol told me about you wanting to fire Baek._

_I absolutely disagree with all my being._

_Don’t you realize that he found a family here at EXO? And you are so willing to send him away? Don’t you have a heart?_

_This poor boy has the same age of your other members, Myeon, and he deserves a bit of happiness too._

_Don’t make it harder for anyone._

_Keep him here with us._

_Or we will go away too, because he’s already part of this place and of our family._

_Park Yoora_

Family.

Baekhyun never thought that family could be related to such a warm and soft feeling.

To bright laughter at the pub or to afternoons splayed on the couches in the common areas watching silly movies together.

To go out together, to live together.

To suffer together but exiting every time from every occasion stronger than before.

However, Yoora’s words sparkled bright as a ray of hope on _family_ giving it a whole new meaning to Baekhyun.

And in the end, Baekhyun finally picked up Chanyeol’s.

He was a bit worried on whatever there could be inside, but he opened it nevertheless.

_I don’t need much words, Myeon._

_Baekhyun is my world and where he goes, I’ll follow._

_He saved my sisters’ life, not once but twice._

_He saved my life too._

_I don’t think I will ever be grateful enough for everything Baekhyun means to me._

_Therefore, if you still want me here, better keep him here too._

_Park Chanyeol_

Baekhyun sighed deeply, shaking his head.

Chanyeol was an idiot.

And Baekhyun didn’t save his life, nor Yoora’s.

EXO members did.

So Chanyeol’s gratitude should go to all of them not to Baekhyun alone.

And what he even meant with Baekhyun being _his world_?

It almost felt like a…

And in that very same moment, Baekhyun’s cheeks went red suddenly, feeling the warmth creeping up until his ears.

No, no, definitely no.

He had to be mistaking.

Chanyeol wasn’t in love with him and that wasn’t a love confession.

It was just… another way to convince Junmyeon to let Baekhyun stay at EXO.

Baekhyun inhaled deeply, shaking that too warm and too sweet imagine, convincing himself that it was only an expedient to make Baekhyun stay.

“I’m grateful, Myeon. I really am. To you and to them…” he whispered and Junmyeon nodded briefly.

“Yeah, yeah, sure. Now go away and try to rest a bit more. Especially that wrist” he concluded shooing him away and Baekhyun nodded briefly, sitting up and bowing again before walking toward the door.

He was almost there before Junmyeon called him again.

“Baekhyun” he called him and Baekhyun stopped, hand on the handle of the door.

“I want to be clear. I don’t want anything like last night happening ever again. Come to me and talk to me. We can do everything together” he concluded and Baekhyun nodded before bowing again and exiting the room.

He felt so light and so warm and he wanted to extern all those feelings to the other EXO members but first things first, he needed a shower.

He took his time and once outside, he was dressing when Jondae entered the room, alone.

“Baek!” he stated seeing him up and Baekhyun smiled at him.

“You are the _bestest_ friend ever” Baekhyun whispered before hugging him super tightly and Jondae frowned perplexed before hugging him back.

“You know that _bestest_ doesn’t exist as word, right?” he asked him and Baekhyun nodded briefly.

“Sure, just forged it for you” he replied, squeezing him tighter in the embrace.

Jondae let out a whine before tickling Baekhyun’s sides and letting him go.

They shortly laughed together and then Jondae returned serious.

“Will you stay?” he asked him and Baekhyun smiled softly.

“I won’t go anywhere” he replied making Jondae beam at him with his most brilliant smile, thumbing up.

And, in that moment, Minseok appeared too.

“ _Hyung_!” Baekhyun exclaimed, hugging him too, squeezing him tightly.

“Baek?” Minseok almost squealed in surprise and Baekhyun smiled at him softly.

“Thank you” he whispered before running off toward the main hall.

On the way there he met Jongin and hugged him too, thanking him at least hundred times too.

And also Sehun.

He stopped in front of him, undecided on what to do but then Sehun frowned shortly.

“ _Hyung?_ ” he called him and Baekhyun hugged him, face first on his shoulders, feeling Sehun getting a bit stiff before he could pat on his shoulders too, hugging him back.

“Remain forever with us” Sehun whispered to his ear and Baekhyun nodded, taking his hand and squeezing it gently before running off again.

Once in the hall he met Kyungsoo and Yoora.

With Kyungsoo he exchanged a more formal hug, with shoulders pat, but when his stare moved to Yoora, he felt again tears in his eyes.

“ _Noona_ ” he whined and Yoora hugged him super tightly this time, making Baekhyun snuggle his nose on her shoulder, appreciating the flowery scent.

He was so glad that Yoora was fine and all the sweet words she wrote about him still made him feel way too soft.

“You will always be welcomed here, Baek. Thank you for saving my life again” she whispered him and he shook his head briefly.

“You all saved mine. I can’t be grateful enough” he muttered, hugging her slightly tighter.

“I can’t believe it. I can’t take my eyes away neither for a second and you are already hugging my sister?” Chanyeol’s voice came from behind them and Baekhyun immediately turned around, staring at him, worried.

There were several cuts on his cheeks and neck, and a purple blooming bruise on his neck.

“C-Chanyeol…” he called him, nearing Chanyeol, even if he didn’t know exactly what to do.

He was worried about everything.

About his physical conditions, about what happened between them, about what there actually was between them.

Because now that everything happened, and everything ended too, what Chanyeol thought about _whatever_ they had?

And was he still willing to stay with Baekhyun, to spend all those long afternoons out with him?

Or was it only a dream lasted too long but ended too early?

Maybe Baekhyun didn’t want to know, because he felt happy enough like this and after all he could pretend for a while more that he didn’t have all those feelings he had for Chanyeol.

For a while more he could be fine with a simply physical relationship, if Chanyeol was still up to it.

Because simply knowing that Chanyeol was fine, meant the world to Baekhyun.

However, Chanyeol didn’t have as many thoughts as Baekhyun had.

He simply neared him, leant softly in, kissing Baekhyun’s lips like it was the most natural thing.

Like it was the most _obvious_ thing.

“You are my world, Baekhyun. Wherever you will go, I’ll follow” he whispered few inches apart from his lips, repeating the same worlds he wrote in his resignation letter.

And Baekhyun felt again the warmth creeping up until his ears, but before Chanyeol could distance him again, Baekhyun took the collar of his shirt, pulling him down and kissing him back, softly, making Chanyeol hum in the kiss, hand moving to caress Baekhyun’s side.

It was soft and sweet and all that Baekhyun desired for in that moment.

He would love Chanyeol’s lips on his for forever.

Baekhyun bit shortly Chanyeol’s lips, gently forcing his way in Chanyeol’s mouth, making the kiss wetter than before, feeling Chanyeol’s hands on his side, gripping slightly harder, pulling him even nearer.

It was perfect and all the rest of the world could stop.

“Guys…” Yoora called them, making them immediately exit their small colorful bubble, coughing shortly in embarrassment.

Baekhyun could feel his ears in fire, unable to look toward Yoora or Kyungsoo.

But he could feel Chanyeol’s stare on him.

“Didn’t you mean: gays?” Kyungsoo corrected her and Baekhyun’s cheeks took even more a nice shade of red, as Chanyeol’s did too.

“Sorry” Baekhyun whispered briefly but Yoora was already shaking her head.

“I think both of you have something you want to say, right _Chanyeollie_?” she asked to her brother who coughed at the nickname but nodded shortly back.

“I hope not here…” Chanyeol started saying but Baekhyun shook his head without even letting him finish.

“Myeon… gave me some days off. Are you up to…?” Baekhyun asked him, remaining the vaguest possible but Chanyeol was already nodding briefly, stare moving toward Yoora.

“I’ll go away some days. Call me if anybody needs anything” he stated and she nodded decidedly.

“Take care of Baek. He’s more injured than it may seem!” she finally hollered while they were already walking away and Chanyeol gave her a thumb up.

“I’m not. And I don’t need to be taken care of” he whispered, messing his hair up but Chanyeol shook his head immediately.

“You are and you do. Now sit in the car and let me take care of you for few days at least” he concluded and before Baekhyun could even try to object, Chanyeol pressed a finger on his lips.

“I know it’s difficult, but trust me” he added, voice barely audible and Baekhyun’s eyes went wider in perplexity.

“I…” he started before humming softly and nodding, simply sitting inside the car on the passenger seat and pulling at his safety belt.

“I still wonder how it is that of between the two of us, you are the one more injured” Chanyeol started saying pulling at his belt too before turning on the engine and driving off the parking lot.

Baekhyun chuckled softly.

“One shouldn’t ignore injury for too long. This is the result” he added showing his plaster.

Chanyeol frowned, shaking his head, clearly worried.

“I… I’m sorry about what happened, Baekhyun” he whispered softly and Baekhyun hummed, shaking his head.

“You did what was the best in that moment” he replied shrugging his shoulders even if he still felt bad rethinking at everything happened before he could realize that Chanyeol didn’t actually betray him and that there was something more important in the game, like Yoora’s own well-being.

“Still…” Chanyeol started to say but Baekhyun stopped him with a small gesture of his hand.

“You don’t need to explain anything. I understand that her life is the most important thing ever. And I did fine by myself, no? So, no worries” he stated forcing a small smile before staring again out of the window.

He faced even more dangerous matters than that.

Baekhyun was as worried as Chanyeol about Yoora’s life once he understood what was happening.

Chanyeol’s pressed his lips in a thin line but didn’t add anything more.

They stopped along the way in a small minimart, picking up some things that could be useful, especially if they planned to stay more than a single night.

Especially since Chanyeol didn’t leave Baekhyun any time to pack up something.

Their conversation was minimal, almost absent-minded and Baekhyun wondered if what happened in EXO’s hall wasn’t anything but a dream, that fluffy and warm feeling so far from their actual situation.

He sighed shortly in front of a fridge, picking up some vegetables.

It felt so domestic and yet so forced that Baekhyun didn’t know what to think about it.

“You done?” Chanyeol asked him from the end of the aisle and Baekhyun nodded briefly, walking toward him until the cashier and paying for everything they took, unhearing of Chanyeol’s complaints.

“It’s fine. At least they pay me a lot for those missions around the world, and Nepal isn’t any different” Baekhyun whispered, shaking his head and almost forcing the cashier to take his credit card.

Chanyeol sighed softly but didn’t add anything again, simply nodding shortly and taking all the shopping bags when they were done.

“You can give one to me…” Baekhyun started but Chanyeol walked away with them, immediately putting them in the trunk of the car.

Baekhyun sighed deeply again and he felt so tired for the first time in so many days, despite all the things he went through.

Chanyeol drove again in silence until the small house and over there Baekhyun almost forced him to let him help bringing inside the bags.

It was cold inside and Baekhyun felt a clench at his heart only at the memories of their last night together over there.

He was so involved in Chanyeol’s whole being.

So in love he thought he could start crying like he never did in the past ten or maybe twenty years.

However, most probably for Chanyeol it wasn’t the same.

He respected somehow Baekhyun and enjoyed their physical relationship.

But that was all.

Nothing more.

No feelings, no love, no nothing.

Chanyeol went and started the fire while Baekhyun started sorting the shopping in the fridge.

“Baekhyun” Chanyeol called him and he hummed in reply, putting the last things in.

“I’m sorry for everything” Chanyeol started again making Baekhyun feel even worse than before.

“Stop saying you are sorry. I told that it’s fine and I know that Yoora is your most important worry. It’s right and she’s your sister. It’s your duty to protect her” he stated smiling softly at him and he really thought what he was saying.

Because Yoora’s life was more important than Baekhyun’s own.

He was ready to risk it to protect Yoora too.

So he totally understood Chanyeol’s reasoning.

Baekhyun could fend for himself and face the worst things, while Yoora wasn’t even remotely trained for anything similar.

Considering even more that they were talking about Choi’s doing.

And Baekhyun himself knew how Choi could be problematic and ruthless.

“No, Baekhyun, it’s not fine…” Chanyeol started saying again and Baekhyun shook his head.

“Please. Can we not speak about it anymore? I don’t care about your reasons, about what happened in details and I don’t feel bad about it either. It’s… normal and fine like this. All of that happened for my fault, after all. If you didn’t know me, Yoora would be fine and she wouldn’t ever face something that dangerous. So, stop apologizing and let’s get over it” he stopped him, smiling again softly toward Chanyeol who frowned deeply.

“I betrayed your trust, Baekhyun…” he started again and Baekhyun inhaled deeply, fingers carding through his hair.

“What do you want me to say? Why are you keeping this whole thing up?” he asked him, finally feeling like everything was starting to drift from his control.

And when Chanyeol frown again, Baekhyun sighed again, shifting his stare away, not looking at Chanyeol anymore.

“You are asking me if you betrayed the trust I had in you? Yeah, you did. Especially before I realized that maybe you thought about something and left me in a situation less dangerous that I initially thought, leaving me your car and your keys” Baekhyun started saying, feeling again like he felt that evening, memories confused and numbed in his head.

“No one ever got that near to me to actually being able to drug me without me suspecting nothing about it. So you did your work pretty good, no worries” he added forcing a small ironic smile, but shaking it away with a small shake of his head.

“And you don’t need to worry. Apart for Myeon, nobody will ever know about it, if it worries you. I didn’t talk about it not with Dae neither with _hyung_. You don’t owe me anything either. Nor your sister’s life, let alone yours” he concluded finally looking back at him, sincere smile appearing on his lips.

And it was true.

Because regardless what there was or there would be between the two of them, Baekhyun wouldn’t tell about it to anybody.

And he didn’t save any lives.

Nor Yoora’s.

Nor Chanyeol’s.

“Even if I’m glad that you want me to stay around at EXO a while more too. We built a good chemistry which is really useful and difficult to find in this kind of job. It will be good working together from now on too” he added before smiling softly again, stare shifting away and feeling again that weird feeling that accompanied him in those last days every time he thought about Chanyeol and Baekhyun’s own feelings toward him.

It was fine like that.

Colleagues with an occasional yet stable physical relationship.

No need of feelings, no need of thoughts, no need of all the complications that were popping up in Baekhyun’s head and that Chanyeol never ever even consider.

Chanyeol though breathed deeply before shaking his head.

“Is this what you want?” he asked him, stepping in Baekhyun’s personal space and Baekhyun frowned shortly, stare moving to meet with Chanyeol’s.

“Do we have other choices?” he retorted softly, feeling the urgent need to hug Chanyeol tightly and never let him go.

He didn’t do it, though.

“You could let me explain my point of view instead of interrupting me every time, for instance?” Chanyeol whispered and Baekhyun nodded shortly, gesturing him to continue.

“I should have known that something was off since Yoora told me she had a _partner_. And for the first time ever in my life I listened to her pleas and didn’t meddle with her life, investigating on this man who claimed to love her” he started saying, fingers carding in his hair, shaking his head.

“Who would have thought that out of all the people, she would be neared by one of Choi’s men?” he added briefly, inhaling sharply and Baekhyun could already picture all the rest.

And maybe that bruise on Yoora’s cheek that time was a sign of it.

Chanyeol closed his eyes before shaking his head again and staring back at Baekhyun.

“I’m sorry for what I did. Because it was the worst choice, even if I was sure that you would more than fine alone. As you said, I know that you faced danger even greater than that, but I was worried. That’s why I came back after that…” he started saying and Baekhyun frowned shortly not understanding what Chanyeol was talking about.

Chanyeol sighed deeply before moving his hand softly toward Baekhyun’s cheek, caressing it gently.

“I was worried about you. So worried and so guilt-ridden that I went back there. To speak with Choi and told him that I wanted back both Yoora and you” he continued closing his eyes, fingers continuously stroking Baekhyun’s cheek.

Baekhyun was enthralled by that vision.

Chanyeol seemed to be even more beautiful than before despite the bruises and the whole serious matter.

“However, you exceed all my and also Choi’s expectations, managing to escape even before than previewed, putting me in a not so good position. Choi never understood that I gave you the means to go away, but still took me as warranty for you to come back. He thought for revenge, I thought you wouldn’t come back at all” he whispered and Baekhyun shook his head frantically, words already on his lips but Chanyeol’s fingers moved on Baekhyun’s lips slightly pressing on them softly, shutting him up.

“And when you came back, I couldn’t believe it. Especially when I realized that you weren’t alone but brought with you the whole EXO team” he added, small smile appearing on his lips.

“And when, after saving my ass again, you even covered me up with _everyone including Yoora_ , I didn’t know what to say. Because I don’t deserve you. Nor as my colleague, nor in this _thing_ we have, whatever you want it to be” he concluded and this time Baekhyun sighed shortly, shaking again his head, but not letting Chanyeol shutting him up.

“Chanyeol, don’t say like this. You are a precious colleague and a dear friend. It’s obvious that I would have come back for you” he whispered softly, voice colored with feelings, even if Baekhyun was trying his best to hide them.

And it was obvious at the same time, so obvious that Baekhyun wouldn’t have done it for everyone, but for Chanyeol was ready to risk his life without thinking about it twice.

“Baekhyun, we are running in circle around this matter…” Chanyeol whispered briefly and Baekhyun frowned, stare finally moving back to Chanyeol’s.

“We are not only friends and neither colleagues…” Chanyeol added softly, almost imperceptibly leaning in, breath caressing Baekhyun’s lips.

“And that this is not an only-physical relationship anymore…” he continued, lips few inches apart from Baekhyun and Baekhyun stared back at him, hand moving to caress Chanyeol’s neck.

“So?” Baekhyun managed to ask him and Chanyeol smiled gently.

“So, I love you Baekhyun” he replied and Baekhyun felt a flutter at his heart.

“D-Do you really…?” he started saying but Chanyeol kissed his nose sweetly.

“I told you. You are my world and my life belong to you, Baekhyun. Now and forever” he concluded and Baekhyun felt again his ears catching fire.

“I… I have feelings for you too, Chanyeol” he whispered, voice barely audible and unable to say _love_ out loud as Chanyeol did.

Baekhyun hadn’t been in love with anybody.

Ever.

If not in that moment.

And he didn’t know what to do with all those feelings he was having for Chanyeol and… _love_?

He was already feeling embarrassed enough like that.

“You are so cute when you are embarrassed, Baekhyun” Chanyeol whispered softly and Baekhyun puffed his cheeks, complaint already ready on his lips, but Chanyeol kissed him briefly.

“But I love you even more” he added and Baekhyun’s cheeks caught fire.

“Chanyeol” he whined lowly, hiding his face behind his hands and Chanyeol chuckled kissing the top of Baekhyun’s head.

“So…” Chanyeol started, prolonging the final vowel.

Baekhyun peeked up, staring at him worried.

“Do you maybe want to help me with the dinner or…?” he proposed and Baekhyun’s eyes went wider in perplexity before he could chuckle again, shaking his head.

“Oh no, absolutely no. I wouldn’t be able to keep my hands off of you if we are this near in this small kitchen” he replied honestly, making Chanyeol blush softly.

But then Chanyeol smiled briefly.

“Well, maybe dinner can wait for later?” he asked him again and Baekhyun bit his lips, stare moving to Chanyeol.

“Are you sure? It feels ages since last time and…” he started replying but Chanyeol leant in again kissing him softly, interrupting his sentence.

“And I love you more than before. So would you please simply tell me if you are fine with it or not?” Chanyeol whispered, caressing his neck and staring back at him.

Baekhyun smiled softly, moving his sane hand to caress Chanyeol’s cheek.

“If I’m fine with it? Chanyeol, you are the only one I would willingly sacrifice my life for. And you are so beautiful and perfect and, how can I not want you?” he replied, pulling him down and starting to sweetly kiss his cheeks and nose.

Chanyeol groaned briefly, pulling Baekhyun even nearer to himself.

“Dinner can wait, then. Come” he concluded, taking Baekhyun’s hand and leading him to the bedroom.

“I can believe that last time is actually no more than few days ago…” Baekhyun started saying, hands both moving under Chanyeol’s sweater, but Chanyeol stopped him immediately.

“I know. And I can’t believe either how it ended after all” he whispered back, softly taking Baekhyun’s hands in his.

And Baekhyun was ready to retort and to tell him that the moment was too beautiful to be spoiled by something passed and they already talked about, when Chanyeol kissed the top of his head.

“However,” he started again forcing Baekhyun’s stare on him, “I won’t let you overwork that hand even if I forced to tie it to the headboard” he explained soft smile appearing on his lips and Baekhyun’s eyes went wider in perplexity before he could chuckle shortly.

“Oh sure, because you think you can manage to…?” he started saying but Chanyeol pressed a finger on Baekhyun’s lips.

“Please, for just this time can you simply let aside your pride and let me spoil you a bit?” Chanyeol asked him briefly, stare worried inquiring his own gaze.

“I though you were up to some strange bondage plays?” Baekhyun replied, chuckling making Chanyeol huff shortly, shaking his head.

“Idiot, I really worry about you…” he started saying and Baekhyun smiled briefly, again caressing his cheek.

“I know. That’s why I will be good today and won’t do anything reckless. Especially because it hurts as hell” he stopped him immediately and Chanyeol inhaled deeply, again shaking his head.

“You are impossible, really…” he whispered leaning in and kissing the top of Baekhyun’s head again.

But he didn’t stop there.

His hands moved on the hem of Baekhyun’s sweater, pulling shortly before helping him taking it off.

Baekhyun simply followed his movements, helping him also taking off his own t-shirt, exposing his torso and Chanyeol’s hands went immediately on his sides again.

“You are so beautiful, Baekhyun and so toned…” Chanyeol whispered, softly kissing his neck, moving down to his collarbones and Baekhyun closed his eyes in appreciation.

He loved Chanyeol’s lips on his body, so plush yet passionate.

Actually, he loved everything Chanyeol physically did to him, not only his lips.

“And aren’t you too dressed? I know that I said I would be good, but at least let me touch you. I missed you so bad…” he muttered, hand moving to pull Chanyeol’s sweater and Chanyeol nodded shortly, chuckling softly.

“Yeah, yeah… Let me undress” he replied, slightly pushing Baekhyun sit on the bed and making a literal show of taking off his clothes.

His movements were slow and sensual, caressing his own figure, and Baekhyun actually asked himself where Chanyeol could have learnt something so sexy.

When Chanyeol took off his sweater and his t-shirt, way too slowly in Baekhyun’s opinion, he caressed his own abs, fingers resting on his belt.

“Wanna see something more…?” he asked him, smirk opening briefly on his lips and Baekhyun gulped down before nodding shortly.

Chanyeol was so smooth in whatever he was doing and Baekhyun couldn’t take away his eyes from Chanyeol’s figure.

From his toned abs, to his fitted pectorals and arms.

Everything called for Baekhyun _oh so much_.

And Baekhyun wanted to touch him so bad.

Chanyeol’s fingers moved gingerly and slowly on his belt, unbuckling it and opening every single button with an exasperating languidness, making Baekhyun almost keep his breath until Chanyeol finally reached the last button, sliding them down, remaining only in boxer.

“Come here” Baekhyun whisper-ordered, hand gesturing him to near him even more and Chanyeol nodded shortly, closing the distance between them.

Baekhyun pulled him near, starting to kiss Chanyeol’s hipbones, the easiest reachable place since Chanyeol was still standing while Baekhyun was sitting.

He felt Chanyeol shiver briefly at the touch and he smiled softly, starting to caress his side and thigh.

“You are such a blessing, so beautiful and perfect…” Baekhyun whispered planting more kisses on the navel area too.

“Baekhyun” Chanyeol called him but Baekhyun ignored him, before pulling down also his boxer, freeing Chanyeol’s erection, already half-hard.

Chanyeol wanted to object again but Baekhyun took it in his mouth, fingers caressing Chanyeol’s hipbones.

He felt Chanyeol’s fingers gripping shortly in his hair, pulling and a muffling a low groan.

“Baekhyun, you should…” Chanyeol started saying but Baekhyun sucked briefly before pulling away and staring at Chanyeol.

“Rest? I am. Not overworking my hand? It’s here and I won’t use it. Don’t you want me to suck you a bit? I missed this so much. Last time you insisted in doing it” he countered immediately and Chanyeol shut up immediately before nodding shortly.

“Thanks” Baekhyun concluded, taking again Chanyeol’s shaft in his mouth and starting to lick and suck it.

At first, leisurely almost playfully, not really setting a real pace to his motion, simply feeling Chanyeol twitch in his mouth looking for more or less friction, for a place more than another, fingers carding in Baekhyun’s hair and pulling softly when he sucked a bit harder than before.

Baekhyun liked how Chanyeol’s erection weighted on his tongue and the taste he had in his mouth.

And when he was satisfied with that, he started setting a pace to his ministration, sucking with more intent, tempo getting quicker and steadier, feeling Chanyeol pulling slightly harder on his hair.

“Baekhyun” he groaned, trying not to thrust in Baekhyun’s mouth but Baekhyun didn’t stop him, instead he started caressing his thigh and then inside, his balls, feeling him getting even thicker in his mouth.

Chanyeol moaned lowly, this time starting to thrust as he preferred and Baekhyun simply took everything of him, letting Chanyeol set the pace.

“Baek, slow down or I’ll come too soon…” Chanyeol moaned but Baekhyun wanted to chuckle.

He only wanted Chanyeol to come, so he set an even faster pace, feeling Chanyeol’s fingers pulling hardly on his hair.

“Baekhyun, ah, please…” he let out again, thrusting deeper and Baekhyun compiled setting an even quicker pace and feeling him come in his mouth with a low moan, slowing down by himself and enjoying all his orgasm.

Baekhyun swallowed every single drop, letting Chanyeol having his time coming down from his high before popping out, cleaning his mouth with the back of his hand.

“I love when you do it” Chanyeol whispered and Baekhyun smiled widely, nodding.

“I know, and I like doing it to you” he replied softly and even before he could add whatever other thing, Chanyeol offered him his hand.

“Stand up, we have to pull those away” he stated gesturing toward Baekhyun’s jeans and Baekhyun nodded shortly, sitting up and starting to remove them by himself but Chanyeol’s hands immediately stopped him.

“I’ll do it” Chanyeol whispered and Baekhyun nodded, even if it was probably the first time someone undressed him since… forever?

Probably last person was his own mother when he was no more than a crying kid?

Chanyeol’s fingers were warm on Baekhyun’s skin, slowly unbuckling his belt and unbuttoning his jeans.

Baekhyun’s eyes fluttered closed, enjoying that warmth he was feeling in that moment.

Chanyeol slowly pushed down both his jeans and his boxer, completely undressing Baekhyun, both of them standing naked in front of each other.

Baekhyun stared slightly embarrassed toward Chanyeol.

“What about now…? I can…” Baekhyun started saying but Chanyeol shook his head.

“We will do like last time. I don’t want you to overwork your hand and I know you like it when you see me fingering myself open for you” he immediately interrupted him, smiling at him softly, making Baekhyun almost choke on air, blush appearing on his cheeks.

“Fine…” he concluded almost rolling on the bed until the pillow zone, were he sat up, leaning his back on the headboard, gesturing Chanyeol to reach him.

Chanyeol nodded taking the lube bottle and nearing Baekhyun on the bed.

He kneeled in front of Baekhyun, legs spreading wide and poured lube on his fingers.

“Also last time you enjoyed it pretty much, but this time I won’t let you touch me as you prefer like last time. I’ll keep a bit more distance” he stated and Baekhyun wanted to complain but Chanyeol shook his head, first finger slowly disappearing inside himself.

“I wouldn’t ever thought that I would like _this_ so much” he started saying, trying to muffle a low groan and Baekhyun stared back at him, enthralled by the vision and aroused like probably never before.

“R-Really?” he asked him back, voice rasping inside his throat and making him gulp down a bit of saliva, licking his lips wet.

“Yeah. Since when you came around and started creeping inside me and not only sentimentally speaking, I started enjoying this also by myself more than I could expect” Chanyeol added in a whisper, inserting two more fingers and groaning at the insertion, starting to set a small pace to his insertions.

Baekhyun chuckled shortly, eyes not moving from Chanyeol.

“That reply my question, then. I’ve always wondered how you feel about _this_ ” he whispered and Chanyeol hummed briefly, inserting one last finger and throwing his head back, exposing his neck to Baekhyun who wanted to touch him _oh so damn much_.

His neck, his torso, those beautifully perched rose nipples…

“Once I would maybe like to…” Chanyeol groaned starting to set a faster pace to his own thrust inside himself.

“Be inside me?” Baekhyun finished for him and Chanyeol’s stare met his briefly, for a second, glassy, full-blown and so wanting.

Chanyeol nodded shortly, almost imperceptibly, before biting his lips and trying to hide another moan, low and deep, erection fully hard again.

“For now, come here. Let me touch you. I want to increase your pleasure…” Baekhyun muttered making him a small gesture to sit on Baekhyun’s laps but Chanyeol shook his head.

“Not yet” he interjected briefly starting an even faster pace and Baekhyun could see precum beads starting to form again on the tip of Chanyeol’s erection.

It was so hard that Baekhyun wanted to stroke him again, to feel Chanyeol on his laps, riding him with the necessary abandonment.

Baekhyun groaned shortly, looking at Chanyeol’s sweat running down his neck along every shape of his torso and abs and he thought he never saw something sexier before.

“Chanyeol, _please_ , come here. Let me touch you… I want you” Baekhyun whispered earning himself a low moan and a soft smile from Chanyeol.

“You said you never plea for something sex-related” Chanyeol observed but Baekhyun shook his head.

“Just let me touch you. Do you want me to ask you with _please and thank you_? I will do it but come here. I can’t simply watch anymore…” he groaned and Chanyeol nodded briefly, pulling out his fingers from himself, but only for the time he neared Baekhyun, sitting on his laps, and started fingering himself again.

“You are so beautiful” Baekhyun whispered, fingers moving to caress his neck and then down to his nipple, pinching one softly, earning a moan from Chanyeol, who started to thrust harder inside himself.

“And so sexy, so perfect here, for me…” Baekhyun continued, lips moving on Chanyeol’s neck, biting him hard, fingers still playing with his nipple.

He bit all the way down to Chanyeol’s other nipple, starting to lick and bit it not so gently, fingers still teasing the other.

Chanyeol groaned again, arching his back, moving toward Baekhyun’s touch, fingers disappearing even more inside himself.

“Baekhyun” he moaned and Baekhyun bit him again a little above his nipple.

“Tell me what you want, Chanyeol and I will give it to you” he whispered in his ear and Chanyeol stared back at him, eyes glassy and almost unfocused.

“Take me and make me yours” he stated like it was the most obvious thing and Baekhyun simply nodded.

“Come here, let me inside” Baekhyun whispered, hand moving to caress Chanyeol’s side who shivered shortly, pulling his fingers out and moving them to Baekhyun’s erection.

“You are so hard” Chanyeol appreciated lowly and Baekhyun shivered at the touch with Chanyeol’s wet and warm fingers.

“It’s your effect on me. You are too sexy and perfect” he breathed softly before shifting again his stare on Chanyeol’s face.

“And are you fine without …?” he started asking but Chanyeol was already nodding.

“I want to feel you” he interrupted him, already moving on Baekhyun’s erection, bottoming out in a second.

Baekhyun’s hand gripped harder on Chanyeol’s side, biting his own lips, unable to process all those feelings he was having in that moment.

“Chanyeol…” he groaned feeling Chanyeol grip slightly harder on his shoulders.

“You are so thick” he whispered back and Baekhyun chuckled softly.

“You could have taken your time” he objected but Chanyeol shook his head briefly, fingers carding in Baekhyun’s hair who closed his eyes in appreciation and forcing himself not to thrust inside Chanyeol.

“I couldn’t wait anymore either. I missed you so bad and this is… different from before” he added voice barely audible and Baekhyun hummed, caressing Chanyeol’s side.

“I had… _feelings_ also last time” he admitted, voice no more than a whisper, stare not meeting Chanyeol’s.

There was an instant of silence and then Chanyeol kissed his forehead.

“Oh, Baekhyun, I’m so…” he started to say but Baekhyun pushed a finger on his lips.

“I don’t think it’s the right moment to talk about it. Let’s enjoy this, because I missed you too” he stopped him immediately, hand moving again down to Chanyeol’s torso and on his side.

Chanyeol shivered again, arching his back and sinking deeper on Baekhyun’s erection, making him muffle a groan.

“Let me have you, Chanyeol. I want to feel you coming on my laps” Baekhyun breathed, gripping harder on Chanyeol’s side.

“Baekhyun” Chanyeol whined, cheeks blushing red and Baekhyun chuckled softly, kissing them.

“You are such a precious being” Baekhyun whispered again, shortly thrusting inside him and Chanyeol hid another groan, starting to move on Baekhyun’s laps, adapting to his erection and setting his own pace.

Baekhyun felt heavenly and couldn’t have asked for anything more.

Chanyeol was hot and aroused on him, sweaty and sparkling and Baekhyun could feel again those sweet, pleasant feeling bubbling up in his chest.

But this time he didn’t have to force them away, didn’t have to pretend they weren’t there.

He could embrace them how he was doing with Chanyeol, taking everything he could from them.

Baekhyun moved his finger up to Chanyeol’s nipple, slightly pinching it, softly, starting to kiss again his neck and collarbones, feeling Chanyeol shiver and quiver on his laps, moaning.

“Baekhyun, stop it or I’ll come again too soon” he whispered but Baekhyun felt his own erection twitch inside Chanyeol, aching for a release too.

Everything was too hot and Chanyeol was too sexy on his laps and Baekhyun simply wanted them both to enjoy it at its fullest, without thinking about anything else.

So he helped Chanyeol set a faster pace on his laps, making him moan deeply, hands pulling harder at Baekhyun’s hair and arching his back, letting Baekhyun thrust hard against Chanyeol’s prostate, making him let out an high-pitched moan.

“Baekhyun, please, _please_ more…” he pleaded and Baekhyun nodded shortly, feeling his own release catching up faster than expected.

Baekhyun thrusted harder inside Chanyeol, gripping on his side and feeling him come between them, untouched and beautiful, Baekhyun’s name on his lips.

Arching his back and throwing back his head, the perfect image of bliss and abandonment and Baekhyun was so stroke by that vision that came hard too, biting on his own lips, muffling a low moan.

“I love you, Chanyeol” he whispered, caressing Chanyeol’s side, breathless and deep.

And even before he could process himself the fact that he just pronounced _the L word_ toward Chanyeol, Chanyeol’s lips were already on his, kissing him even more breathless.

“I love you too, Baekhyun. I love you, more than my own life” Chanyeol whispered and Baekhyun blushed deeply, humming softly.

“Thank you” he muttered in the end, earning himself a beautiful smile from Chanyeol.

They stayed there for few minutes, catching their breath and realizing what that finally meant for them.

“So…” Chanyeol started softly and Baekhyun’s stare was immediately on him.

“So?” he echoed and Chanyeol showed him again that soft smile.

“So, I think it’s about the time we make this official? My sister already knows, though” Chanyeol explained and Baekhyun hummed, not perplexed at all by Yoora knowing about them.

“I think that Dae knows something too. And if he knows, _hyung_ does too” Baekhyun added, making Chanyeol chuckle, shaking his head.

“Jongin won’t expect it. And maybe neither _Sehunnie_ ” Chanyeol retorted and Baekhyun hummed briefly in thought.

“I still don’t know why you decided to put up all this story of us fucking even before it actually started” Baekhyun commented, earning himself a soundly laugh from Chanyeol.

“Why? Because I don’t want anybody to know about this place. It’s only mine… no, wait, ours” he explained making Baekhyun open up in a soft smile too.

“You are such a hopeless romantic” he whispered pulling Chanyeol down for another kiss, but he was pleased by the reason and to know that that place was really only theirs.

Chanyeol helped him to shower, to dress and cooked for them.

“I didn’t know about you having feelings for me even before…” Chanyeol whispered when they were done eating and they were sitting on the sofa, cuddling.

Baekhyun picked up a plaid, because he was cold, but it was just another excuse to snuggle nearer to Chanyeol.

And Chanyeol didn’t seem to mind it.

Or better, he seemed to love cuddly Baekhyun.

“I couldn’t tell you before. I wasn’t sure about anything” Baekhyun retorted and Chanyeol nodded briefly, caressing Baekhyun’s hair.

“And I’m still sorry for everything…” Chanyeol added but Baekhyun shook his head, snuggling his head on Chanyeol’s torso.

“Would you stop it? We are both fine, Yoora is fine too. And it was a way to confirm each other’s feelings. Everything is good. I just want to walk together with you the rest of our days” he commented, declaring officially closed that argument.

“I won’t ever leave you again” Chanyeol whispered and Baekhyun chuckled softly.

“You better won’t. Otherwise, I’ll search for you around the world just to kick your sorry-yet-not-existent ass forever” Baekhyun stated and Chanyeol frowned, stare moving toward Baekhyun who chuckled again.

“I love you even with your almost-flat ass, no worries” he added and Chanyeol exploded in a soundly laugh.

“I love you too, Baekhyun. Till the end of the world and back” he concluded kissing the top of his head.

_Love_ was maybe an overused word and maybe also overrated.

However, Baekhyun didn’t have any doubts about it.

He was definitely in _love_ with Chanyeol.

Enough to risk his own life.

Enough to lie for him.

Enough to trust that only one percent probability.

Enough to entrust his own life in Chanyeol’s hands.

And he would do it every single day of his life.

As Chanyeol said, wherever Chanyeol would go, Baekhyun would follow.

Till the end of the world and back.


End file.
